93-Year-Old Widow Donates $1 Billion to Fund Free Medical School Forever in NYC’s Poorest Borough
In a historic act of generosity, 93-year-old Dr. Ruth Gottesman, a former professor and philanthropist, has donated $1 billion to the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx—making tuition free for all students, forever.
This staggering gift is one of the largest donations in U.S. educational history and the single biggest gift ever made to a medical school.
But for Dr. Gottesman, this wasn’t about making headlines—it was about honoring her husband’s legacy and changing lives in the Bronx, the poorest and unhealthiest borough in New York City.
Her late husband, David Gottesman, an early investor in Berkshire Hathaway, left her a significant stock portfolio with a simple instruction:
“Do whatever you think is right.”
She knew exactly what that meant.
“I wanted to do something that would have a lasting impact,” she said. “And what could be more powerful than freeing future doctors from the burden of student debt?”
Medical students in the U.S. graduate with an average of $59,000 in debt per year—a financial weight that often deters them from working in underserved communities. Now, thanks to this gift, Einstein students will be able to focus on healing, not hustling to repay loans.
More importantly, it means that students from all backgrounds—not just those who can afford six-figure tuitions—can train to become physicians.
The donation is also a direct investment in the Bronx, where health disparities are some of the worst in the country. Dr. Gottesman hopes this initiative will attract compassionate, community-focused doctors who are committed to serving where they’re most needed.
“This is not just a gift,” one student said. “It’s a revolution in access to medicine.”
