Ming Hsieh

SOURCE OF WEALTH: Cogent Inc

FUNDING AREAS: Higher Education, Health & Science Research, Chinese Community

OVERVIEW: Ming Hsieh and family do their grantmaking through the Hsieh Family Foundation, which made $1.3 million in grants in a recent year. Hsieh has given tens of millions to his alma mater, USC, where he is a trustee. He has supported several other schools and has interests in health and science research. He has given away at least $100 million since 2006. 

BACKGROUND: Ming Hsieh was born and raised in northern China, survived China's tumultuous Cultural Revolution, and eventually worked his way to USC, where he earned a BSEE in 1983 and an MSEE in 1984. In 1987, he founded AMAX Technology, and in 1990, the Pasadena-based Cogent Inc., which revolutionized automated fingerprint identification. Hsieh was once on the Forbes billionaire list.

ISSUES:

HIGHER EDUCATION: Hsieh gave $35 million in 2006 to the USC electrical engineering department and $50 million in 2010 to establish and endow an institute in nanomedicine to develop new cancer therapies. Via his foundation, he has supported Stanford University and the UCLA Foundation, including the UCLA School of Dentistry as well as anti-aging research. He has supported WV Foundation, and its forensic research fund, as well as Stanford University.

HEALTH & SCIENCE RESEARCH: Hsieh has supported Methodist Hospital and National Academy for Engineering. He also gave $1 million to Children's Hospital Los Angeles.

LOOKING FORWARD: Expect Hsieh to continue to strongly fund these interests.

CONTACT:

Hsieh Family Foundation
PO Box 3326
South Pasadena, CA 91030