celebrity grammy award: Eli Broad A Major Philanthropists Giving Away Millions For Medical Research and More (Video)

Eli Broad is one of the most generous philanthropists in the US today. It is interesting to hear the comments and Eli Broad wants to die relatively poor. In the wild west we live in today with disruption and distraction, thank goodness philanthropy at this level exists. Los Angeles is a major recipient and the view of what has occurred in downtown LA. The one parking lot shown is one that I know well as park there when attending Microsoft User Group meetings, been there many times, right on Grand avenue and watch the Disney Hall go up. As the video states he practices “venture philanthropy” in other words he wants results and if he doesn’t see them he stops funding. Bloomberg has some kind words as he has contributed to New York Schools and addresses the fact that people say Broad is hard to work with and says “its his money” so you play or you don’t play, makes sense to me.

The Broad Institute of course is in Massachusetts and have one of the world’s largest genomic centers. I have covered some of their news here from time to time and each time it seems there’s always a mention of buying more genomic sequencing machines.

Broad Institute of MIT Purchases 51 Sequencing Machines from Illumina – Genomics

In January stem cell research at UCLA Edith and Eli Broad Center had some major news relative to regenerative medicine for repairing brain injuries.

UCLA Stem Cell Study Creates New Roads for Potential Repairing Brain Injuries-Regenerative Medicine

Broad is one of the Giving Pledge members, a campaign initiated by Warren Buffet and Bill and Melinda Gates.

Bill Gates & Warren Buffett – Call for Philanthropy To Give 50% of Their Fortunes To Help Others With “The Giving Pledge”

He talks about his own children not having the same ambition that he has and they are well taken care of and he states he has plenty to go around and Mr. Broad also makes his art available for display at museums too. Both California and Massachusetts are miles ahead with research thanks to his donations. His wish is to just be the “most respected” person around. BD

In this era of belt tightening, it's kind of refreshing to take a look at people whose happiest pastime is to give money away. Such a man is 77-year-old Eli Broad, a self-made billionaire, art collector and for the past ten years one of the most consistently generous philanthropists in America - supporting education reform, medical research and the arts. Broad also wants to transform that sprawling monster of a city Los Angeles into a cultural capital.

Broad thinks big, but his critics say he can act very small: that he may give billions away, but that he tries to micromanage almost every dollar he gives. Broad doesn't really care what they say - all he wants to do is die poor. Well, relatively poor.

"When you've got one 800 pound gorilla in the room, you're scared to death of the guy. Everybody does want something from Eli. And since he is the biggest game in town, nobody wants to alienate him," art critic Christopher Knight said.