$307.7 million mega-donor to university Henry Samueli receives Medal of Honor

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers named Henry Samueli, a Distinguished Adjunct Professor of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science and namesake of the Henry Samueli School of Engineering at the University of California, Irvine, as the recipient of the 2025 IEEE Medal of Honor, its highest distinction.

Samueli is an IEEE fellow with a more than 50-year association with the organization and was recognized for his pioneering research and business acumen leading to the widespread growth and use of wired and wireless broadband communications technologies.

He was also acknowledged for his generous support – with his wife, Susan Samueli – of science, technology, health, engineering and mathematics education and research at institutions in Southern California and beyond.

To date, Henry and Susan Samueli have donated over $307.7 million to the University of California, Irvine (UCI).

Their major contributions include:

$200 million: To establish the Susan & Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences, the largest gift in UCI’s history.

$50 million: To create three multidisciplinary research institutes under the “Engineering+” initiative and support student success in the Henry Samueli School of Engineering.

$30 million: For constructing the Samueli Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Building.

$20 million: A naming gift for the Henry Samueli School of Engineering, which funded endowed chairs, scholarships, and fellowships.

$5.7 million: To establish the Susan Samueli Center for Integrative Medicine.

These donations have significantly advanced UCI’s research, interdisciplinary education, and student support initiatives.

Henry Samueli is an American engineer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He co-founded Broadcom Corporation in 1991, a leading semiconductor company, and currently serves as chairman of Broadcom Inc.

Samueli is also the owner of the NHL team Anaheim Ducks and a prominent supporter of STEM education and integrative health initiatives.

Samueli earned his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from UCLA. He is a Fellow of the IEEE, a National Academy of Engineering member, and has received numerous accolades, including the Marconi Prize and the IEEE Founders Medal.

He holds 75 U.S. patents and has published over 100 technical papers in digital signal processing and communication systems.

In addition to his business achievements, Samueli has donated extensively to education and health causes, endowing the Samueli Schools of Engineering at UCLA and UC Irvine.

His current net worth is estimated at $20.8 billion.