Clippers owner Steve Ballmer reportedly pledges $25M in coronavirus aid, vaccine research
Los Angeles Clippers owner and former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is stepping up his efforts to help thwart the effects of the coronavirus.
Ballmer, along with his wife Connie, pledged $25 million through the Ballmer Group on Friday to support various causes amid the COVID-19 pandemic, ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk reports.
Money pegged for vaccine research
The money will go to help communities in Seattle, Los Angeles and Southeast Michigan, according to the report. $10 million is earmarked for University of Washington research to find a vaccine for COVID-19.
Ballmer was born in Detroit, amassed his fortune in Seattle with Microsoft and now owns the Clippers in Los Angeles.
[ Coronavirus: How the sports world is responding to the pandemic ]
Ballmer pledged last week to donate $1 million to community groups in Los Angeles and had previously pledged $3 million to start a fund in Seattle. It’s not clear if those pledges are included in the package announced Friday. Forbes estimates that Ballmer is worth $57.3 billion.
Other pledges from the sports world
Ballmer’s pledge is the latest from athletes, sports executives and team owners around the world to assist in efforts to combat COVID-19. Other recent notable pledges include a $5 million pledge from New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees and a 1 million franc pledge from tennis great Roger Federer in his home country of Switzerland.
Mark Cuban, Gayle Benson, Zion Williamson, Blake Griffin, Kevin Love, Anthony Davis and Giannis Antetokounmpo are among the other notable NBA names to pledge money to help during the coronavirus crisis.
As of Friday, confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States eclipsed 100,000, marking the most reported cases of any country in the world. More than 1,400 U.S. deaths have been confirmed.
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