Nike founder Philip Knight has given $400m to Stanford University, equalling the largest individual donation to a US college, for an ambitious international programme to draw potential future world leaders to Silicon Valley.
The donation marks the largest contribution to a $750m fund for an elite graduate scholarship scheme to rival established programmes like the 114-year-old Rhodes Scholarships at Oxford university, whose alumni include former president Bill Clinton.
Growing competition to attract and train future political and business leaders from around world has produced a spate of well-financed scholarship schemes in recent years, with billionaires lining up to back the idea.