Nvidia board member Tench Coxe—who is a billionaire—and his wife Simone are contributing $100 million to the University of Texas Medical Center in Austin.
This donation, among the largest in the university’s history, stemmed from the couple’s personal background and values that align with the university’s goal of enhancing healthcare access in Central Texas, their current residence.
The medical center will feature a new hospital for treating complex, severe conditions and an expansion of the UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, according to a from the university. It is scheduled to open in 2030.
“I hope that in 25 years, people will say UT has one of the world’s best medical centers—and that it benefits the entire community,” Coxe stated in a video.
Coxe served as managing director of Sutter Hill Ventures from 1989 to 2020, joined Nvidia’s board in 1993, and was an early supporter of Jensen Huang. He is Nvidia’s third-largest individual shareholder (behind founder Huang and board member/venture capitalist Mark Stevens) and has an estimated net worth of $7.7 billion, according to .
The couple relocated from Silicon Valley to Austin in 2020, and Coxe is also a partial owner of Austin FC. They are also Democratic supporters, and each $1 million to Beto O’Rourke’s 2022 gubernatorial campaign against Gov. Greg Abbott.
Investing in the future of healthcare
The couple’s personal experiences also shaped their decision to donate to the University of Texas. Simone noted that their 6-year-old son successfully received treatment for Burkitt lymphoma at Stanford Medicine’s Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital in 2003—an event that inspired them to “pay it forward.” They also recognized the need for more healthcare infrastructure in their local community.
“We have a close friend who had to travel from Austin to Houston for care she should have been able to get at home,” Coxe said. As much as 25% of people in the region leave the area to seek care for serious medical needs, per the university.
A key part of the Coxes’ donation decision was speaking with Claudia Lucchinetti, dean of UT’s Dell Medical School, and hearing her vision to transform healthcare by integrating university research with a modern system.
“Having spent my career backing strong leaders, meeting Claudia made it clear: Supporting the UT medical center’s vision is exactly the opportunity Austin needed,” Coxe said. The gift is unrestricted, and the university says it will prioritize hiring world-class staff, construction, technology investments, and expanding healthcare access.
The couple typically gives quietly or anonymously. In September 2025, Coxe gifted 1 million Nvidia shares (valued at over $168 million) to undisclosed recipients, Bloomberg .
“One thing that happens with bigger gifts is that it de-risks it a bit for some people,” Simone said. “Our approach to philanthropy is to invest and believe, knowing there’s risk and not everything will be perfect. We hope by making this gift, we can encourage others to take that same view.”