$1 billion mark surpassed as Henry and Susan Samueli deepen their giving
Henry and Susan Samueli have crossed the $1 billion milestone in charitable giving, marking the occasion with their foundation’s largest single-day slate of grants.
The Samueli Foundation announced $11 million in awards to 138 nonprofit organizations across Orange County through its newly launched Breakaway Fund.
Initially budgeted at $5 million when it opened in May, the Breakaway Fund was expanded more than twofold in response to the urgency of community needs and the strength of the applications. More than three-quarters of the recipients had never before received support from the Samueli Foundation.
“Each application contained deeply human stories about our neighbors across Orange County that compelled us to dig deeper and give more,” Henry and Susan Samueli said in a joint statement.
“Breakaways in hockey are always the most exciting moments in games, and we hope the Breakaway Fund generates an equal level of community excitement. Together, we can create so much impact for the betterment of Orange County.”
The foundation received 1,004 applications totaling $83 million in requests. Grants ranging from $50,000 to $100,000 will be distributed within a month and come with no restrictions—an approach the foundation described as a model of trust-based philanthropy.
Lindsey Spindle, president of Samueli Family Philanthropies, said the fund is designed to offer “fast, flexible funding” to nonprofits facing fragile financial realities, and to set an example for other philanthropists to follow.
The Samueli Foundation is also preparing to announce awards from its Build OC Fund, a $5 million initiative for capital projects such as renovations, construction, land acquisition, and large-scale equipment purchases. That program received $168 million in requests.
Over the last 25 years, the Samueli family has distributed more than $1 billion in charitable grants through its foundation and related entities, including the Anaheim Ducks Foundation, the San Diego Gulls Foundation, and the Irvine Ice Foundation.
Their giving, the family says, is rooted in a mission to make Orange County a “vibrant mosaic of community well-being” and to ensure that philanthropy remains central to their business and civic commitments.
Henri and Susan Samueli built their fortune through Broadcom, the semiconductor and infrastructure software company co-founded by Henri in 1991, which became a global industry leader and significantly increased the Samuelis’ wealth. Henri, an engineer and former UCLA professor, attributes his success largely to his education, research, and a mix of hard work and timing.
The Samuelis’ giving philosophy centers on supporting innovative, catalytic efforts that enhance communities and improve quality of life, with a strong focus on STEM education, integrative health, youth services, and Jewish culture.
Their philanthropy is characterized by transformative, large-scale gifts to public institutions—primarily universities—meant to enable cross-disciplinary research, expand educational access, and foster societal impact for future generations.
They have pledged the majority of their wealth to charity, aligning with initiatives like the Giving Pledge, and emphasize enabling sustained, systemic change over one-off program funding.