Eli Broad, the billionaire entrepreneur whose philanthropy enabled the creation of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard in Cambridge, one of the most influential scientific research centers in the country, died Friday at 87, according to the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation.
Mr. Broad, who cofounded homebuilding pioneer Kaufman and Broad Inc. and launched financial services giant SunAmerica Inc., had devoted his life to philanthropy since 1999, according to a statement from the Broad Foundation. He and his wife, known as Edye, have committed more than $5 billion through their foundations.
A patron of arts and sciences especially in his home in Los Angeles, Mr. Broad made his largest charitable donations to the Broad Institute, beginning in 2003 and continuing over the years to total some $1.1 billion. Using newfound insights from the decoding of the human genome, the Broad brought together scientists of different disciplines to collaborate and take medicine beyond the treatment of symptoms of disease to fix the underlying causes of genetically-linked illnesses.
To submit a correction request, please visit our Contact Us page.
STAT encourages you to share your voice. We welcome your commentary, criticism, and expertise on our subscriber-only platform, STAT+ Connect