SINGAPORE, Sept 23 — Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin has donated S$20 million (RM65 million) to the Singapore American School, marking the largest gift in the institution’s history.
Bloomberg reported that Saverin and his wife Elaine made the donation, which the school announced this week.
“The Saverin family gift will support the creation of world-class play spaces, cutting edge STEM labs” and other improvements at a new elementary school currently under construction, Singapore American School Superintendent Tom Boasberg wrote in a weekly email.
The funds will also support a Chinese immersion programme and other strategic initiatives at the school.
He added that the Saverin family’s contribution will have a “transformative” impact on the school.
Elaine Saverin said she hoped that the gift would benefit current and future generations at the school.
“This is a significant and meaningful way for our family to demonstrate our commitment to the school,” she said in the announcement.
Eduardo Saverin, born to a wealthy Brazilian family, co-founded Facebook along with Mark Zuckerberg, Dustin Moskovitz, Chris Hughes in 2004.
He moved to Singapore in 2009 and renounced his US citizenship in 2011, ahead of Facebook’s initial public offering.
According to Bloomberg, his wealth is largely tied to his holdings in Meta Platforms Inc, with an estimated net worth of US$30.5 billion (RM128 billion).
Singapore American School, founded in 1956, serves around 4,000 students and charges high school students approximately S$49,000 annually.