A Billionaire's Deep-Sea Mission: Saving Science One Discovery at a Time

In the vast, mysterious world beneath the ocean's surface, a billionaire is making waves. Wendy Schmidt, wife of former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, is on a mission to save science. She's not just throwing money at the problem. She's creating opportunities and supporting researchers who might otherwise be left high and dry. Her Schmidt Ocean Institute (SOI) has funded nearly 100 expeditions. These aren't just any expeditions. They're high-risk, high-reward voyages that discover new species and explore uncharted territories. The institute's ship, equipped with state-of-the-art technology, is a floating laboratory. It's a place where scientists can pursue their research without worrying about funding. One such expedition off the coast of Argentina made headlines. It discovered otherworldly coral forests and neon-hued sea stars. The scientific team credited Wendy Schmidt and SOI for making it possible. They estimated the value of the ship time, crew, equipment, and technology provided by SOI to be around $1. 5 million. That's a lot of money. But it's money well spent, according to the scientists. Wendy Schmidt's support isn't just about the money. It's about the access. It's about the opportunity. It's about the chance to make discoveries that might otherwise go unnoticed. And it's about sharing those discoveries with the public. That's the deal. Science in service of everyone. But it's not just about the ocean. Wendy Schmidt's philanthropy spans climate modeling, biodiversity tracking, and tools that help collect and share scientific data openly. She's supporting everything from local food systems to immersive experiences to climate communication. She's not just funding individual projects. She's building durable infrastructure for science, storytelling, and collaboration. And she's not doing it alone. Her husband, Eric Schmidt, is a billionaire. Together, they've directed a significant portion of their $2 billion in lifetime giving towards environmental initiatives. But Wendy Schmidt is the driving force behind SOI. She's the one leading the charge, making sure science survives. But she's quick to point out the limits of private capital. She can fund the work. She can show what's possible. But she can't do this alone. She needs governments to re-engage. She needs them to step up and support science. And she's not just talking about it. She's doing something about it. She's supporting defunded initiatives like the Keeling Curve, which tracks atmospheric CO2 levels. She's helping rural public media stations facing collapse due to dwindling public subsidies. She's backing investigative storytelling on climate and public interest science. Wendy Schmidt is a billionaire on a mission. She's saving science one discovery at a time. And she's not just doing it for the sake of science. She's doing it for the sake of the planet. She's doing it for the sake of the future.