South African businessman, Nathan Kirsh, made the largest single individual gift that London Business School has ever received, a £10 million dollar donation.

The £10 million dollar donation is an unrestricted gift, which means the School can choose what projects to use the funds for. Also, this generous gift will contribute with a 40% increase to the School’s endowment fund.

London Business School’s Dean, Professor Sir Andrew Likierman said: “This extremely generous gift is a real game-changer for London Business School, allowing us to build our endowment and providing us with the resources we need to build on our world-class position”. He also added: “The majority of our peer schools have been building their endowments over decades, and in some cases centuries. At almost 50 years old, we’re relative newcomers in comparison, which is why this seminal gift is so important”.

Highly regarded by Kirsh as a global business centre, London has the businessman’s appreciation; thus his determination to back a first-rate, internationally primed, British institution that is regarded among the best Business Schools (http://www.london.edu/programmes/mba.html).

When it comes to corporate investment in research and innovation, the UK currently ranks in 26th place, according to the Times Higher Education World Academic Summit Innovation Index.

“Nurturing future leaders is essential for business and business schools have a huge part to play in this. That’s why supporting business education, in Britain in particular, is so important. My hope is that my gift will act as a stepping stone in the right direction, a benchmark for others to follow.” said Nathan Kirsh.

Nathan Kirsh, owner of London’s iconic tower 42, is a South African entrepreneur whose principal business venture is Jetro Holdings that operates Jetro Cash and the wholesale goods supply to restaurants and grocery outlets through Carry stores and Restaurant Depots in the US.