Duke’s endowment: two Oprah’s and a P. Diddy

We’re worth seven times as much as Jay-Z and Beyoncé.

Woah.

As of June 30, 2015, Duke University’s endowment was at a market value of $7.3 billion, according to The Duke University Management Company, or DUMAC.

This is the highest value in the history of the university’s endowment.

Duke’s endowment is ten times the wealth of P. Diddy

Last year, DUMAC reported a return of 4.4 per cent on investments, coming off one of the best years in Duke’s history.

This return comes after a 20.2 per cent return in the previous fiscal year. In the past 10 years, Duke’s average annual return of its long-term pool has been 9.4 per cent.  The Long Term Pool is managed by DUMAC, a professionally staffed investment organization, as Duke University is a business, as as well as a school.

However, even though we are worth 50 times as much as Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen, we still aren’t one of the most successful businesses.

Donald Trump is still worth $3 billion more than us.

Duke University’s endowed funds are divided up to support people, programs, and activities of the university. Through investment returns and charitable donations, Duke has been able to provide students with scholarships and fellowships, faculty members with valuable experiences, launch new programs, and support other needs of the school.

The endowed funds are designated as follows: 22 per cent to financial aid, 19 per cent to professorships, 10 per cent to instruction and research, 17 per cent to restricted/other, and 32 per cent to unrestricted.

Duke ranks in with the 15th highest endowment of universities in the country. In comparison, last year Harvard came in with a 5.8 per cent return, Stanford with a 7 per cent return, and MIT with a 13 per cent return.

Duke University is a much more complicated, profitable business than most students tend to think.