The philanthropist and billionaire Mortimer Zuckerman cut off millions of dollars in funding to Columbia University citing the school's failure to address rising anti-Semitism, the Washington Free Beacon has learned. Zuckerman pledged $200 million in 2012 to endow an institute focused on interdisciplinary neuroscience research. But the billionaire owner of U.S. News & World Report began questioning Columbia's handling of rampant campus anti-Semitism following Hamas's Oct. 7 attacks on Israel and ultimately halted funding after several months of discussions, according to a Zuckerman Family Office spokeswoman.
"The recent decisions and actions taken by Columbia have been antithetical to the University's mission and it is simply not the same institution it was when Mr. Zuckerman made the pledge," the spokeswoman told the Free Beacon. "We will continue to evaluate the situation in the hope that Columbia will restore its reputation, standing and mission as a respected educational institution."
Zuckerman founded Boston Properties, a real estate investment trust, and ran it for nearly 50 years before stepping down as chairman in 2016. In addition to U.S. News & World Report, where he serves as editor in chief and publisher, Zuckerman also owned the New York Daily News for 24 years until he sold it in 2017.
The son of Ukrainian Jewish immigrants, Zuckerman has consistently donated to a variety of Jewish and pro-Israel causes. In 2016, for example, he launched a $100 million STEM initiative to provide scholarships for American and Israeli researchers, with the goal of fostering scientific collaboration between the United States and Israel.
For months, Zuckerman engaged in conversations with Columbia, raising concerns about the school's governance and handling of campus anti-Semitism following Oct. 7, the Zuckerman Family Office spokeswoman told the Free Beacon. Columbia, in response, requested time to "rebuild trust and demonstrate better governance."
But that rebuilding failed to take shape, prompting Zuckerman, a media and real estate mogul, to pause millions in funding. Columbia had become the forefront of campus anti-Semitism, with protesters eventually storming Hamilton Hall and barricading its entrance. In-person classes and the main graduation ceremony were canceled.
And last week, Columbia announced that it would not fire the four deans at the center of a texting scandal after they were caught exchanging derogatory text messages during an alumni panel on anti-Semitism. Instead the school opted to reassign three of the deans, while the fourth and most senior administrator, Columbia College dean Josef Sorett, would remain in his post.
Zuckerman's 2012 endowment was one of the largest gifts in Columbia's history. The $200 million donation led to the creation of the Mind Brain Behavior Institute "to support interdisciplinary neuroscience research and discovery by scholars across the University," according to Columbia. The billionaire serves as the chairman of the institute's voluntary board of advisers.
Of the $200 million endowment to Columbia, a significant minority percentage has already been given to the school, according to the Zuckerman Family Office spokeswoman.
It is unclear if the pause in funding will affect the Mind Brain Behavior Institute. Columbia did not respond to a request for comment.
Several other high-profile billionaires have also recently cut off millions in donations to Columbia over its handling of anti-Semitism.
In April, New Englands Patriots owner Robert Kraft announced he would no longer donate to the school, his alma mater, due to the "virulent hate" on campus against Jewish students and staff amid widespread anti-Israel protests. Billionaire investor and hedge fund manager Leon Cooperman in October said he would suspend donations to Columbia after the university refused to fire Professor Joseph Massad, who called Hamas's Oct. 7 terrorist attack "awesome."