William Oberndorf
William Oberndorf | |
---|---|
Born | William Ernst Oberndorf |
Nationality | American |
Alma mater |
Williams College Stanford Business School |
Occupation | Hedge fund manager |
William Ernst Oberndorf is an American businessman, philanthropist, and education advocate.
Career
Oberndorf graduated from Williams College in 1975 and received an MBA from Stanford Business School in 1978.[1] Oberndorf was inspired to become an investor by Warren Buffett.[2] In 1989, Oberndorf founded the investment firm SPO Partners.[3] Oberndorf was a major investor in Voyager, which created a literacy curriculum that was implemented by Florida Governor Jeb Bush.[4]
Oberndorf has served on the boards of numerous companies, including Aggregates USA, Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Equity Funds, Plum Creek Timber, Voyager Learning Company, Taft Broadcasting, and Wometco Cable Television Corporation.[5]
Other activities
Oberndorf and his wife Susan Oberndorf are active philanthropists who have donated millions of dollars to education-related causes and institutions.[6] Oberndorf currently serves as chair of the UCSF Foundation, which raises money to support the University of California, San Francisco’s mission of advancing health worldwide.[7]. In 2010, Business Insider named Oberndorf one of the top ten university endowment managers.[8]
The Oberndorfs are strong supporters of school choice and have made a number of large donations to organizations designed to “bring about systemic and sustainable reform by promoting broad-based parental choice that aids low-income families.” In 2013, the couple made grants to two Bay Area public charter schools, KIPP Bay Area Schools and Gateway Public Schools, and donated $100,000 to the Foundation for Excellence in Education.[9] Other educational institutions that have received donations from the Oberndorfs include Marquette University, Williams College, and Stanford University.
Oberndorf is a major political donor who has contributed funds to national and California-based initiatives and candidates. Oberndorf was a prominent supporter of California Proposition 32, an effort to reform the political influence of teacher’s unions.[10] In 2016, Oberndorf donated $49,999 to Proposition Q, a ballot measure prohibiting tents on public sidewalks that was passed by voters.[11]
A registered Republican, Oberndorf donated over $1 million to the California Republican Party and its candidates between 2001 and 2011.[12] He was a major backer of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney in 2008 and 2012, but ultimately donated to Barack Obama’s campaign prior to the 2008 election.[13] Oberndorf has also donated to U.S. Senator Diane Feinstein, a Democrat from California.[14]
In 2016, Oberndorf was one of several high-profile Republican donors who refused to support Republican presidential nominee Donald J. Trump.[15] [16] [17] Oberndorf said he would not vote for Trump, telling the New York Times, “If it is Trump vs. Clinton... I will be voting for Hillary.” [18] [19] Earlier in the 2016 presidential cycle, Oberndorf co-hosted two fundraisers for Jeb Bush [20] and played a major role in discouraging Romney from running for president for a third time.[21]
References
- ↑ "William Ernst Oberndorf". Bloomberg Business. Bloomberg. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
- ↑ Lowenstein, Roger (24 July 2013). Buffett: The Making of an American Capitalist. Random House. p. 275. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
- ↑ Lattman, Peter (28 September 2010). "Bill Patterson, Investor and Philanthropist, Dies". New York Times. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
- ↑ "Charitable Profile of Bill Oberndorf '75"
- ↑ "William E. Oberndorf Joins Calpine's Board of Directors". Businesswire. 5 January 2011. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
- ↑ "Charitable Profile of Bill Oberndorf '75".
- ↑ About the UCSF Foundation
- ↑ Leah Goldman, The 10 Best University Endowment Managers, Business Insider, 1/29/11
- ↑ Edward W. Morley, The Charitable Profile of Bill Oberndorf '75, Eph Blog, 5/16/18
- ↑ Federal Election Commission Individual Contributions query
- ↑ San Francisco homeless: New plan to clear tents off streets, BBC, 10/21/2016
- ↑ Novak, Bob Biersack Viveca and Tucker, Will, A few new donors-but not many-among megadonors to presidential super pacs, OpenSecrets.org, 8/1/2015
- ↑ Novak, Bob Biersack Viveca and Tucker, Will, A few new donors-but not many-among megadonors to presidential super pacs, OpenSecrets.org, 8/1/2015
- ↑ Federal Election Commission Individual Contributions query
- ↑ Lah, Kyung, Republicans for Hillary?, CNN, 5/31/2016
- ↑ Balluck, Andrew and Rachal, Maria, Republican exodus from Trump grows, The Hill, 8/10/16
- ↑ Blake, Aaron, 78 Republican politicians, donors and officials who are supporting Hillary Clinton, The Washington Post, 11/7/2016
- ↑ Martin, Jonathan and Burns, Alexander, Key G.O.P. Donors Still Deeply Resist Donald Trump’s Candidacy, The Washington Post, 11/7/2016
- ↑ Martin, Jonathan and Burns, Alexander, These Wealthy People Refuse to Give Donald Trump Money. Here’s Why., The New York Post, 5/21/2016
- ↑ Balluck, Andrew and Rachal, Maria, Republican exodus from Trump grows, The Hill, 8/10/16
- ↑ Lah, Kyung, Republicans for Hillary?, CNN, 5/31/2016