Madison Industries Founder and CEO Larry Gies – a 1988 Accountancy graduate – has announced a generous new pledge of $100 million to Gies College of Business, cementing his place as the largest benefactor in the history of the University of Illinois and increasing the impact Gies Business can make in learners’ lives. The commitment is among the top 10 single largest gifts ever to a business school and solidifies him as one of the three largest lifetime donors to any business school in the United States.
Gies’ new commitment is a pledge to match the next $100 million in qualifying donations to the College – driving a total of $200 million in financial impact, specifically toward supporting scholarships to expand access, enhancing the learner experience, and ensuring faculty excellence. In what is believed to be the largest matching gift ever to a business school and one of the largest ever to an academic institution, both Gies and future donors could see their financial impact doubled thanks to this pledge.
“I’ve always believed the greatest impact happens when people come together around a shared purpose,” Gies said. “Gies Business has an incredible community of alumni and friends who believe in this College and the impact it can make. My hope is that this match not only gives them one more reason to step forward, but also enhances the impact of their giving. Every gift, at every level, can open a door for a student, support a great faculty member, or create an experience that changes someone’s life.”
In 2017, Gies donated $150 million to Gies College of Business, which to this day is the second largest single gift to any business school. In 2025, he pledged a $100 million gift to the Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics (DIA). The commitment is the largest gift in DIA history and represents one of the largest single gifts ever received by a college athletics program. Gies’ total lifetime giving to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, which now reaches $350 million, makes him the single largest benefactor in the university’s history.
“Larry has already transformed this College in ways that will be felt for generations, and with this commitment, he’s asking all of us to imagine what we can do together next,” said W. Brooke Elliott, Josef and Margot Lakonishok Professor in Business and Dean of Gies College of Business. “What moves me most about this gift is the ripple effect it can create. One act of generosity can inspire another, and suddenly a scholarship reaches a student who never imagined Gies Business was within reach, a faculty member has the resources to pursue an ambitious idea, or a learner has an experience that changes the course of their life. Larry is giving this entire community the chance to create those purposeful moments together.”
“Education is the equalizer and not only positively impacts the student’s life but changes the trajectory of their family forever. I’ve seen this in my life and the lives of our Gies Business students, graduates, and their families.” Gies said. “This pledge is about creating impact with my fellow alumni that will long outlast us!”
Gies keeps his purpose and generosity at the forefront, with a long history of support for education, health, armed forces, and athletics. He serves as the president of the Gies Foundation, which focuses on democratizing education and enhancing health, and which was instrumental in establishing the Gies Campus of Chicago Jesuit Academy, a tuition-free school for students in grades three through eight on the city's West Side. He also received the 2023 Semper Fidelis Award, the highest award given by the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, for his commitment to providing need-based scholarships to military children. In 2026, Gies was awarded the Order of Lincoln, the State of Illinois’ highest honor, recognizing individuals for their outstanding professional achievement and dedicated public service.
Gies is the founder and CEO of Madison Industries, one of the largest and most successful privately held companies in the world. Madison makes the world safer, healthier, and more productive by creating innovative solutions that deliver outstanding customer value.
To learn more about how you can get involved, visit our website.