Phil Knight, who started Nike selling sneakers from his car trunk, and his wife Penny just pledged $2 billion to cancer research—the largest single donation ever to a U.S. university. The staggering gift amount—$2 billion, donated to support cancer research at a single institution. The largest donation of its kind in U.S. history. From a man who started his business selling athletic shoes out of his car trunk at track meets, who built Nike from those humble beginnings into one of the world’s most valuable brands.
The gift goes to Dr. Brian Druker, who developed Gleevec, transforming a five-year death sentence into a normal lifespan for leukemia patients. The researcher whose work exemplifies exactly what this donation aims to support—breakthrough treatments that fundamentally change outcomes for cancer patients. Gleevec transformed chronic myeloid leukemia from a death sentence into a manageable chronic condition. Patients who would have died within five years now live normal lifespans, taking a daily pill that controls their cancer. That’s the kind of transformative research the Knights want to fund.
Now every patient will access innovative clinical trials, genetic counseling, nutritional support, and psychological care. The comprehensive approach to cancer treatment that the donation will fund—not just medical research but holistic support addressing all aspects of what cancer patients need. Innovative clinical trials giving patients access to cutting-edge treatments. Genetic counseling helping patients and families understand hereditary risks. Nutritional support addressing the dietary challenges of cancer treatment. Psychological care addressing the mental health impacts of diagnosis and treatment.
“We’re going to change that impossible navigation of healthcare after diagnosis,” Druker said. The problem the donation addresses—that getting diagnosed with cancer triggers an overwhelming, confusing process of navigating treatment options, insurance coverage, clinical trials, support services. Patients and families are suddenly thrust into complex medical systems while dealing with fear and trauma, expected to make critical decisions about treatments they don’t understand. The Knights’ gift aims to smooth that navigation, making comprehensive care accessible and understandable.
One man’s journey from car trunk to $35 billion, now funding hope for millions. The arc of Phil Knight’s life—from selling shoes out of his car trunk in the 1960s to building Nike into a global company, accumulating wealth estimated at $35 billion, and now directing substantial portions of that wealth toward cancer research that will benefit millions of patients. The donation represents not just money but the transformation of business success into medical progress, entrepreneurial achievement into hope for cancer patients.
The photograph shows Phil Knight in his later years—white-haired, smiling broadly, wearing a dark suit. His face shows both pride and purpose, the expression of someone who’s built something extraordinary and is now using that success to fund something even more important than business achievement.
Phil Knight’s early Nike story is legendary—he started selling imported Japanese running shoes from his car trunk at track meets in the 1960s, partnered with his former track coach Bill Bowerman, gradually built the business that became Nike. The journey from that car trunk to global brand worth hundreds of billions represents one of the great American business success stories.
But this donation represents a different kind of success—using wealth accumulated through business to fund research that will save and extend lives. Two billion dollars directed specifically at improving cancer treatment and outcomes. Not just writing a check but targeting the donation toward comprehensive care that addresses every aspect of what cancer patients experience.
Dr. Brian Druker developed Gleevec—a targeted therapy that transformed chronic myeloid leukemia from fatal to manageable. Before Gleevec, CML patients faced bone marrow transplant (risky, often unsuccessful) or death within five years. Gleevec, approved in 2001, changed everything—a daily pill that targets the specific genetic mutation causing CML, controlling the cancer without the devastating side effects of traditional chemotherapy. Patients now live normal lifespans.
That’s the model the Knights want to replicate—breakthrough treatments that transform outcomes. Not incremental improvements but fundamental changes in how we treat cancer. Research that leads to therapies like Gleevec that convert death sentences into manageable chronic conditions.
$2 billion funding innovative clinical trials means thousands of cancer patients will get access to cutting-edge treatments still in development. Clinical trials are how new therapies get tested and approved, but access is often limited by geography, cost, awareness. This donation aims to expand access, fund more trials, get more patients into studies that might save their lives.
Genetic counseling addressing hereditary cancer risks—helping patients and families understand if their cancer has genetic components, what that means for treatment, what risks exist for family members. Crucial information that influences treatment decisions and prevention strategies for relatives.
Nutritional support because cancer and cancer treatment create significant dietary challenges. Patients lose appetite, experience nausea, struggle to maintain weight and nutrition. Professional nutritional counseling and support helps patients maintain strength during treatment, improving outcomes and quality of life.
Psychological care because cancer diagnosis and treatment create enormous mental health challenges—anxiety, depression, trauma, existential fear. Professional psychological support helps patients and families navigate the emotional impact of cancer, improving both mental health and potentially physical outcomes since psychological state affects treatment success.
“We’re going to change that impossible navigation of healthcare after diagnosis.” The overwhelming complexity that cancer patients face—trying to understand diagnosis, evaluate treatment options, access clinical trials, manage insurance, find support services, all while dealing with fear and trauma. The Knights’ donation aims to create comprehensive, coordinated care that guides patients through this complexity, making sure no one falls through cracks because they don’t understand their options or can’t access services that exist.
One man’s journey from car trunk to $35 billion, now funding hope for millions. Phil Knight sold shoes from his car trunk, built Nike into a global brand, accumulated extraordinary wealth, and is now deploying that wealth to transform cancer care. The $2 billion donation to cancer research represents the conversion of business success into medical hope, entrepreneurial achievement into saved lives, wealth accumulated through innovation into research funding that will benefit millions of cancer patients and families.