Education
Zuckerberg and Chan Donate $50 Million to Sacramento State for New Campus and AI Center
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan pledged $50 million to Sacramento State University to fund abatement, demolition and the initial construction of a new downtown campus, according to Fortune. The gift comes just weeks after the couple announced a major shift in the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI), directing most of its philanthropic focus toward biomedical AI research and scientific discovery. California Governor Gavin Newsom announced the donation on January 28 and tied it to the redevelopment of three vacant state office buildings on Sacramento’s Capitol Mall. The money will support new student housing, STEM‑focused academic facilities and a dedicated AI center. Zuckerberg said the investments would strengthen communities and support the next generation of leaders and innovators. Newsom added that the gift would help the university build its pipeline of tech talent and ensure students can afford to live near campus. The donation arrives amid California’s debate over a proposed one‑time 5 percent wealth tax on billionaires, a measure that has prompted several high‑profile residents to relocate. Zuckerberg has not publicly commented on the tax and continues to invest heavily in California through both business and philanthropic initiatives. The Sacramento AI center follows a similar model to CZI’s Biohub, providing shared research tools and infrastructure for training AI talent rather than one‑off scholarships. The Sacramento project aligns with Meta’s broader strategy to build a talent pipeline for its planned $115 billion to $135 billion investment in “superintelligent” agents for feeds, ads and commerce. The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, launched in 2015, has shifted from its original focus on education and social justice to prioritize AI‑powered biomedical research, with the Biohub model described by Zuckerberg as the most impactful work the couple has done. The Sacramento gift reflects that new philanthropic direction.