Mystery of $238 Million Surprise Gift Roils Florida School

  • There’s little information on donor Gregory Gerami’s wealth
  • Florida A&M board approves investigation at emergency meeting
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical UniversityPhotographer: JHVEPhoto/iStock Editorial
Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

At Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, this year’s commencement ceremony brought a remarkable twist: The 136-year-old, historically Black public school was getting a $238 million gift.

But the money wasn’t coming from a wealthy captain of industry, a deep-pocketed philanthropist or even an alumnus. It wasn’t in the form of cash or publicly traded shares, but rather illiquid stock.