Glen Taylor, the founding father of printing firm Taylor Corp., is the wealthiest individual in Minnesota. His roots, nevertheless, hint again to humble beginnings on a dairy farm simply exterior Comfrey, Minn. Now, the 84-year-old billionaire is seeking to unfold his wealth throughout his house state—and past—via a brand new $100 million donation geared toward supporting rural communities.
Taylor is transferring farmland and securities valued at 9 figures to the Taylor Household Farms Basis, a philanthropic initiative supporting rural areas in Minnesota and Iowa. “With this newest reward, I can provide again for years to come back and make a constructive impression on the lives of others in a area that I really like a lot,” stated Taylor in a press release.
Taylor presently has an estimated internet value of $3.4 billion, in response to Forbes. He’s additionally the proprietor of the Minneapolis Star Tribune and the previous majority proprietor of each the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Minnesota Lynx.
This isn’t the primary time Taylor has used his fortune to offer again. In 2023, he launched the Taylor Household Farms Basis with roughly $173 million value of farmland. The muse helps three nonprofit companions: the Mankato Space Basis, Southern Minnesota Initiative Basis and Saint Paul & Minnesota Basis. It additionally awards grants in Taylor’s key areas of curiosity, together with little one care, meals insecurity, emergency medical providers and outside recreation.
These earlier farmland items have already generated tens of millions in earnings, which the muse has directed towards a spread of group wants. Previous donations embody $100,000 to fund a brand new ambulance at Buena Vista Regional Medical Heart in Storm Lake, Iowa, $15,000 for firefighter radios on the Storm Lake Hearth Division, and $25,000 to assist the Pipestone Financial Authority create a toddler care middle in Pipestone, Minn.
Taylor’s newest farmland contributions is not going to merely be liquidated, however as an alternative used to profit native residents straight. The farmland can be made out there to farmers and rented out, in response to the Star Tribune, which famous that Taylor as soon as owned practically 18,000 acres of farmland throughout Minnesota and Iowa.
Taylor is just not alone in channeling billionaire wealth towards rural communities. Funding banker Byron Trott, who hails from the small city of Union, Mo., final yr dedicated $150 million to a community of universities aimed at boosting enrollment from rural college students. This effort has already elevated functions by 20 p.c. And final December, philanthropist MacKenzie Scott donated $36 million to rural North Carolina colleges like Robeson Neighborhood School and Bladen Neighborhood School.
For Taylor, the motivation is deeply private. He credit a lot of his success to his upbringing in southern Minnesota, the place he labored on farms and raised chickens. “The youngsters and households of rural communities will at all times maintain a particular place in my coronary heart as a result of I’ve shared their experiences,” he stated. “I can consider no higher method to create alternatives for them than by working in partnership with these wonderful nonprofit organizations.”
