By DARA LEVY
Cornell students who want to be billionaires can look to the University’s own alumni for inspiration, as Cornell ranks seventh in the list of universities with the most billionaire alumni, according to the Wealth-X and UBS Billionaire Census 2013.
According to the report, Cornell has 14 alumni with net worths of over $1 billion. The billionaires’ combined wealth totals $35 billion.
Cornell ranks fourth among other Ivy League institutions, following Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University, according to the report.
“This represents an invaluable opportunity for fundraising for these elite universities,” the Wealth-X and UBS report said.
Harvard, which topped the list with 52 billionaires valued at $205 billion, has an endowment of $32.7 billion, the Harvard Crimson reported Sept. 24. Cornell’s endowment is $5.7 billion, The Sun reported Oct. 30.
Robert Ziff J.D. ’92 is one of Cornell’s most notable billionaire alumni, according to the report. Ziff — who is worth $4.6 billion according to Forbes — established the Robert D. Ziff Professorship of Law in 2008 at Cornell Law School, according to the Law School’s website.
Billionaires Chuck Feeney ’56 and Irwin M. Jacobs ’54 have both made significant donations to Cornell NYC Tech. Other Cornell billionaires, David Duffield ’62, Howard Milstein ’73 and Samuel Curtis Johnson ’77 are the donors after which Duffield Hall, Milstein Hall and the Johnson School of Management are named.