Hansjörg Wyss

Hansjörg Wyss is a philanthropist who is dedicated to helping save the world’s last remaining wild places, to encouraging breakthroughs in medicine and science, and to protecting and empowering the most vulnerable in a society.

A native of Switzerland who now lives in Wyoming, Wyss’s contributions to nature conservation have led to the permanent protection of more than 40 million acres of land and wildlife habitat in the United States, Africa, South America and Europe - more than any other living individual. In 2018, Wyss pledged to donate $1 billion to help conserve at least 30% of the planet in a natural state by 2030.

Wyss has provided long-standing support for scientific research and medical training. His gifts have enabled Harvard University and four Swiss universities to create multi-disciplinary scientific research institutes that are producing ground-breaking advances in biology, engineering and medicine. He has established endowed chairs in medicine and supports research, education, training at a wide range of universities and hospitals, including Clemson University, the University of Washington, the University of Mississippi, the University of Maryland, the University of South Alabama, and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.  Wyss is also a founder of the AO Foundation, a medically guided nonprofit led by an international group of surgeons who specialize in the treatment of trauma and disorders of the musculoskeletal system. 

Wyss’s philanthropic work extends to a variety of other areas, including hunger prevention, providing basic health services, and the just treatment of refugees and immigrants. He is a supporter of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, provides scholarships at art schools in Switzerland, and helped build the Fondation Beyeler, which is now the most popular art museum in Switzerland.