Joe and Clara Tsai, a billionaire couple from La Jolla, California, have made the largest ever known donation for sports-related medical research.
The Tsais announced that they’ll be donating $220 million to scientists to study the biology of elite athletes for the purposes of helping the average person lead fitter, healthier lives. The timing, one day before the commencement ceremonies of the 2021 Summer Olympic games in Tokyo, was no coincidence.
The money will be divided between the Salk Institute in La Jolla, UC San Diego, Stanford University, Boston Children’s Hospital, the University of Kansas, and the University of Oregon–all leaders in sports medicine. The donation will link these institutions to the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance, a partnership dedicated to sharing any research on the topic.
“Scientific funding has traditionally been focused on the study of diseases,” said Clara Wu Tsai in a statement Wednesday, July 21. “We are taking the opposite approach and studying the human body at its healthiest and most vital, to enable the thriving of all people — from an Olympic Gold Medal-level athlete to a grandfather lacking the mobility to enjoy a full life.”
Research at the Salk Institute will focus on examining the genetic makeup of athletes, as well as the way their bodies process nutrients. Work at UCSD will be centered on how changes in tissues (i.e. the build or loss of muscle, diabetes, hormonal changes) affect the body’s structure.
Joe Tsai’s net worth is estimated at nearly $11 billion. He founded Alibaba, a massive online commerce company in China that is one of Amazon’s few rivals. He also owns the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets, the WNBA’s New York Liberty, and Barclay Center where both teams play. Joe and Clara Tsai have been generous philanthropists for years, donating over $51 million in 2020 alone to support COVID-19 medical efforts and Black-owned businesses.
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