Stanford Scandals Rock School That Beats Harvard in Fundraising

As a new crop of undergraduates starts classes at Stanford University this week — having beaten out tens of thousands of other applicants — they’ll encounter reminders at every turn of the school’s wealth, prestige and deep ties to Silicon Valley.

Buildings emblazoned with the names of tech luminaries such as Hewlett and Gates. A new climate school funded by a $1.1 billion donation last year from venture capitalist John Doerr. Twenty living Nobel laureates connected to the university, including four since 2020.

But behind the scenes, there are some less-impressive occurrences. A search is underway for a new president after the resignation of ...