Stony Brook University

Public university on Long Island, New York. In John Lanchester’s essay, Jim Simons built its maths department into one of the best in the US.

At a glance

Source	Author	Role	In one line
For Every Winner a Loser	John Lanchester	subject	Simons turns its maths department into a leader, later giving it $500 million.

For Every Winner a Loser — John Lanchester (2024)

Source: For Every Winner a Loser · Original · Readwise highlight

Simons stepped aside from running Renaissance in 2010 to concentrate on philanthropy. He gave between 4 billion and 6 billion to causes focusing on science and maths, and also made the largest ever single unrestricted donation to a university: $500 million to Stony Brook.

• Role: subject
• In the article: Lanchester recounts Jim Simons becoming head of the maths department at SUNY Stony Brook in 1968, making it one of the leading US departments within ten years, and later giving it $500 million.
• Why it matters: It is the academic base of the Simons story in the essay.