The multi-million-dollar mystery.

U.S. Unis rejoice an anonymous donor. About 80 million U.S. dollars he had in the last months rain - or it? Pssst, which remains secret. It's about a dozen colleges, all by women. There is wild speculation about Oprah Winfrey and educational conscious woman circles.

 

This phenomenon allows professors and students pondering: Who is the mysterious benefactor, universities across the U.S. with an anonymous donation given? Totals between one million and ten million U.S. dollars it rained in the past two months, a total of at least 81.5 million so far.

Michigan State University Board of Trustees
Michigan State University: Ten million dollars as an anonymous donation

The university is the very right, especially since the financial crisis at the college
severe grinding marks left behind. Universities that donors happy with considerable sums, in the U.S. is not uncommon. Sometimes there are also anonymous donations. But the same series - this is new.

Is it a publicityscheuer Croesus? A Celebrity? Or about a circle of successful business women?

That does not even know the recipients themselves, it is only one track: All presentee colleges are headed by women. A coincidence? Unlikely: Around a quarter of college presidents in the U.S. are female. There is the chance that a dozen randomly selected schools, all led by women, with one in 50 million.

To suspect donations and educational experts, that a woman behind the unexpected money is a blessing. Or a group of women. According to Melissa Berman, president of the Rockefeller Philantrophy Advisers, could it be a woman "who grew up at a time when the chance to go college for women was not self-evident, and believes that women in leadership positions in other can confirm their potential. "

"That does not fit with most crooks"

Brian O'Rourke from Clemson University in South Carolina - the blessing of the money nothing abbekam - suggested by "a group of influential women who want to ensure that Presidents have greater educational success."

Only last week we got the Michigan State University ten million and the University of Alaska Anchorage in seven million U.S. dollars, in Kalamazoo College in Michigan and in New York's Hunter College, it rained money.

The donations are always associated with secrecy: The universities are by law firms or other means to contact people and have - sometimes in writing - promise that they will not try to figure out the identity of the donor.

On Web sites, in which blithely speculated. Is it Oprah Winfrey, the cornucopia ausschüttet? The Talkmasterin is very rich and South Africa already has one
Luxury gifts Internat. But Winfreys spokeswoman spokeswoman denied. Is it someone from the vicinity of the alleged fraudster Bernie Madoff billion?

That perhaps someone with a dubious reputation of the recipient universities do not wish to cause embarrassment, holds the New York Law Professor Harvey Dale already possible. It fit but not to most crooks.

"Maybe its just the fun"

The most plausible solution to the puzzle seems to be a donor to his circle, whose members may put their money together. "I can imagine a circle of women imagine, who think that it is time for something better to do education," says Lauren Katzowitz Shenfield Philanthrophy of Advisors. "But with the anonymity I do not understand."

Experts had to have explanations: The anonymous donor is not available from other distressed that also want money. He avoids family quarrels about who should get something. And he does not run a risk of blackmail to be kidnapped. The recipient in turn, remain major events Thanks also saves as conflicts of interest.

Perhaps, it is only a matter of humor. "It is possible that its just fun," laughs O'Rourke. "The fun is how the entire education herumrätselt who the donor could be."