A group of wealthy pro-Israel donors is accused of using their money to force out university leaders and silence support for Gaza, which is bad news for free speech on campus and in workplaces.

• Billionaire donors like Bill Ackman threatened to withhold alumni gifts unless schools cracked down on students protesting for Gaza.
• The pressure campaign moved from school to school and, by the end of 2024, had pushed out Claudine Gay at Harvard, Liz Magill at Penn, and Minouche Shafik at Columbia.
• The same tactics reached beyond universities, with hospital workers and others afraid to post anything supporting Gaza on social media.
• The donors are described as working quietly behind the scenes, calling university presidents directly to block hires and tenure decisions.

Outlook: The chilling effect on campus and workplace speech about Gaza is expected to continue as long as major donors keep their leverage over institutions.