As the anti-Israel protests and riots at Columbia University continue, Jewish billionaire Robert Kraft, a graduate of the university and one of its biggest donors, announced the end of his donations to the institution in light of the explosion of antisemitism on campus.
Another billionaire, Leon Cooperman, also announced he would cease his contributions to Columbia. Cooperman, who is also a graduate of Columbia University, said that he is ashamed that over the years he has donated over $50 million to the institution and that he is moving his support to other places.
Kraft said in a message posted to X, "It was through the full academic scholarship Columbia gave me that I was able to attend college and get my start in life and for that I have been tremendously grateful. However, the school I love so much - the one that welcomed me and provided me with so much opportunity - is no longer an institution I recognize."
“I am no longer confident that Columbia can protect its students and staff and I am not comfortable supporting the university until corrective action is taken,” he said.
“It is my hope that in this difficult time, the Kraft Center at Columbia will serve as a source of security and safety for all Jewish students and faculty on campus who want to gather peacefully to practice their religion, to be together and to be welcomed,” Kraft said.
A third billionaire, Len Blavatnik, is also reportedly considering ending his donations to Columbia. Blavatnik has already ended his donations to Harvard University over the administration's refusal to condemn calls for the murder of Jews on campus.