Student Union

Billionaire gives graduates cash, but asks them to give, too

In this photo provided by University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, billionaire Robert Hale speaks at the graduation ceremony May 16, 2024, in Dartmouth, Mass. Hale gifted graduates at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth each with $1,000, but he asked them to donate $500.

During a recent graduation ceremony at University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, a Boston billionaire gave each member of the graduating class $1,000.

As Jenna Russell reports in The New York Times, the gift came with a catch: The philanthropist asked the students to give half the money to any good cause. (May 2024)