Bill Hewlett’s Net Worth and Philanthropy
Bill Hewlett was an American engineer and entrepreneur who co-founded the Hewlett-Packard Company with David Packard. At the time of his death in 2001, Hewlett had a net worth of $9 billion.
Together with Packard, Hewlett donated $77 million to establish the David Packard Electrical Engineering Building at Stanford University in 1994.
After Hewlett’s death, the bulk of his estate was donated to The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, which he founded in 1966. The foundation received a huge grant of equity and funds from Hewlett’s late wife Flora’s estate, totaling $300 million in 1981 (equivalent to $850 million today). By the mid-1990s, the foundation controlled $800 million. Today, the foundation has assets worth $10 billion and is known for its philanthropic efforts in education, the environment, and the arts.
The Hewlett Foundation is one of the 20-largest foundations in the US and has made significant contributions to various causes, including $600 million to fight climate change and $500 million to improve education in developing countries.
