Harvard's Money Moves: Big Gains and Political Fights

Harvard University's investment fund, known as the endowment, hit a massive $56. 9 billion in 2025. This huge number is thanks to smart investments that paid off, even though the school faced some tough times with the government. The fund grew by nearly $4 billion in just one year, which is a lot of money! The people who manage Harvard's money, called Harvard Management Co, shared that they made an 11. 9% profit in the last fiscal year. That's way above their usual goal of 8%. Last year, they made a 9. 6% profit, so this year was even better. On top of that, Harvard got a record $600 million in donations from alumni and friends. That's a lot of support, especially when the school is going through some political fights. President Donald Trump has been criticizing Harvard, saying the school supports antisemitism. But many people think Trump is using this as an excuse to go after schools he believes are against conservative ideas. This fight is now in court, and it's not just about the accusations. The government is also trying to cut research funding and limit the number of international students at Harvard. So, how does Harvard make so much money? A big part of it comes from private equity investments (41%) and hedge funds (31%). The rest is spread out in other areas like public equities (14%). The head of Harvard Management Co, N. P. Narvekar, said that even though public equity didn't do as well, the overall performance was good because they chose the right investment managers. Harvard's money moves are important because they set trends for other schools. They were the first to use hedge funds and private equity, and now everyone is watching to see what they do next. Harvard's president, Alan Garber, said they are adapting to the challenges and threats they face, even if he didn't mention Trump by name.