Yale School of Management Receives Alumni Gift of $8,888,888

The Yale School of Management started off the new decade well! Lei Zhang, a 2002 MBA graduate, pledged $8,888,888 to the business school primarily for the construction of the business school's new campus. A percentage of the donation will also go to scholarships for the Yale international relations program through the Jackson Institute of Global Affairs. Mr. Zhang worked for the Yale Investments Office after graduation and before starting his own hedge fund, Hillhouse Capital Management Ltd., based in Beijing.

Mr. Zhang's donation is special for two reasons. First, it is the largest gift in Yale SOM history. Second, the number eight is believed to be lucky in Chinese culture, making $8,888,888 a particularly auspicious number.