Los Angeles Clippers owner, Steve Ballmer and his wife, Connie, donated $25 million to the viral pandemic relief fund.
The funds will assist relief efforts in Los Angeles, Seattle, and Eastern Michigan donated through the Ballmer Group.
According to TMZ, $10 million of the donation is to expedite the testing for a vaccine. “The L.A. Clippers owner and his wife Connie just pledged more than $25 MILLION to help fight the battle against COVID-19!!!! And, get this … $10 MILLION of that pledge is earmarked for the Univ. of Washington Medicine’s Emergency Response Fund to expedite testing for a vaccine!!!”
This comes days after Ballmer purchased the Forum for $400 million dollars in cash, located in Inglewood, CA, which is something Ballmer has pushed to do, since he purchased the team for $2 million dollars in 2014.
In a statement, he said, “This is an unprecedented time, but we believe in our collective future,” Ballmer said in a news release. “We are committed to our investment in the City of Inglewood, which will be good for the community, the Clippers, and our fans.”
The former Microsoft CEO is worth $58 billion and ranked No.9, as richest Americans, according to Forbes.
Steve Ballmer is just one of the few public figures who have stepped up, during this time of need. Rihanna has also donated $5 million, in addition to equipment to New York. New Orleans Saints’ Quarterback, Drew Brees, just announced that he was donating $5 million also.
Due to this viral pandemic, over 3 million Americans have filed for unemployment, all schools have been closed and classes are now streaming online.
Many states are also under a ‘Safer At Home’ Act, in which those who do not have an essential job are encouraged to stay home and refrain from gathering in large groups.
As of today, the United States is now the leading country infected with COVID-19, totaling 100,000 confirmed cases and 1,545 people have died, according to CNN.
