The key facts

  • Morgan and Helen Chu donated $31.4 million to Harvard Law School — the largest gift in the school's history
  • The funds are earmarked for funding six new professorships
  • The family previously funded a deanship (2013), scholarships, and prizes

A record-breaking gift from an alumnus

American lawyer Morgan Chu and his wife Helen have donated $31.4 million to Harvard Law School. According to Kun.uz, citing the school, this is the largest donation in the institution's history; the funds will go toward funding six new professorships. The announcement of the record-breaking gift has also been posted on the law school's own website.

Who is Morgan Chu

Morgan Chu is a lawyer specializing in intellectual property law. He graduated from Harvard Law School with honors in 1976 and heads the litigation group at the Los Angeles law firm Irell & Manella. Explaining his donation, he said: 'I am grateful to the school for admitting me by mistake. Here I received a world-class education and had a very interesting time. Helen and I wanted to thank the school.'

Not the family's first donation

The 2026 gift is not the Chu family's first contribution to the school. In 2013, Morgan and Helen Chu provided funds to establish an endowment to finance the deanship. Earlier, they also supported student scholarships, prizes for academic achievement, and other educational initiatives.

A family of scientists and a record year for the school

The Chu family is known for its achievements in science: Morgan's brother Steven Chu won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1997 and served as U.S. Secretary of Energy in Barack Obama's administration; another brother, Gilbert Chu, is a professor at Stanford University School of Medicine. Morgan's parents moved to the United States from China and studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; his father later worked as a professor at universities. According to Harvard Law School, fiscal year 2026 was the most successful fundraising period in the institution's history: donations exceeded $135 million — roughly $30 million more than the previous record. The Chu family's new gift thus fits into this record year and strengthens funding for the school's faculty.