By Alexandra Tremayne-Pengelly
Publication Date: 2026-05-18 19:07:00
Mark Stevens, an early Nvidia investor who has reaped billions from the chipmaker’s rise, is now directing his philanthropy closer to home. He and his wife, Mary, are donating $175 million to fund the first new medical school in the region in more than a century, which will be operated as a partnership between Santa Clara University and Sutter Health.
“The unique partnership of California’s oldest university, a large and well-respected Northern California integrated healthcare delivery network, and our investment will deliver the next generation of physicians and clinicians,” Stevens said in a statement. The newly-launched school will also “be at the forefront of the intergration of artificial intelligence technology with healthcare delivery.”
The donation is the largest ever made to either Santa Clara, a 175-year-old Silicon Valley university, or Sutter Health, a nonprofit healthcare system serving California. In recognition of the gift, the institution will be named the Mark & Mary Stevens School of Medicine. The school will be housed in an 82,000-square-foot facility and plans to welcome its inaugural class following a multi-year accreditation process now underway.
Stevens, a member of Nvidia’s board, first invested in the company in the early 1990s while at Sequoia Capital, which he joined…
