British billionaire hedge fund manager Chris Rokos has donated a record £190 million to the University of Cambridge to establish a new school of government bearing his name. The donation is believed to be the single largest gift to any UK university in modern times.
The Rokos School of Government will open in temporary accommodation this autumn, offering PhD and master's degrees. It will eventually move to a new building in the Cambridge West Innovation District, aiming to rival Oxford's Blavatnik School of Government, which opened in 2010 with a £75 million donation.
Rokos, 55, who attended state primary school before winning a scholarship to Eton and studying maths at Oxford, said: 'I was fortunate to be given the opportunity of an education which transformed my life, and I would like to give something back to Britain.' He added that he hopes the school will enhance the UK's soft power.
The donation comprises an initial £130 million, with up to £60 million more to be matched by the university. Cambridge Vice-Chancellor Professor Deborah Prentice said the school will help tackle global challenges through radical thinking and leadership.
Rokos, estimated to be worth £2.6 billion, co-founded hedge fund Brevan Howard and later launched Rokos Capital Management in 2015. He recently made headlines for terminating talks to hire former US ambassador Peter Mandelson.
