It appears naming right to UW School of CS has been sold to a certain Dr. David R. Cheriton of Stanford, California for a meager $25 million. (According to the press release, the lowly undergraduates, as usual, will never see a cent of this $25 million.) While I definitely think the School should have got more money, but I cannot accuse Dr. Cheriton of being a cheapskate in light of this (thanks Tony for digging this up and posting it here).
A man who allegedly forced his wife (now ex-wife) to drive their kids around in “a beat-up 1970 van” and has opted not to exercise most of his stock options lest his ex-wife and kids get a piece has given his dear old alma mater a whopping $25 million. My knees shake just thinking about the kind of generosity Dr. Cheriton had to muster up, because, in light of this information, one cannot possibly think the gift was motivated by a tax law loophole or keeping his ex-wife and children from getting his precious stock option money.
Well, now, it’s not like he’s a rapist or an oil company executive. Also, remember School of CS is not the only thing in UW that’s named after questionable people.
