Robert W. Wilson was primarily known for his pioneering hedge fund work through his company Wilson and Associates. His value investing strategies, combined with other great names from the industry, set the groundwork for value investing that we know today.
Besides investing, Robert Wilson was an avid philanthropist, and several sources mention figures like $400 million and even $600 million that he directed towards philanthropic efforts. The primary concerns of his philanthropic efforts were conservationist and environmental goals.
His charitable trust continued to operate after Wilson’s death in 2013, and from the latest 990 filing from November 2024, expenses were $14.1 million, net income reached $2 million, and net assets were at $199.4 million. The foundation also reported a total revenue of $16.2 million.
The revenue that the foundation reported came from dividends and interest from securities ($3.3 million) and net gains from sales of assets ($12.9 million). The majority of gains came from trading the Fidelity securities ($11.3 million).
Stock Investments
The foundation made a long list of stock investments during 2023 with a total value just above $81 million:
- Vanguard Short-Term Investment Grade Fund Investor Shares – 1,166,235 shares
- DFA Global Real Estate Securities Portfolio – 167,501 shares
- iShares Core S&P 500 Mid-Cap ETF – 18,738 shares
- Vanguard Developed Markets Index Fund Admiral Shares – 227,173 shares
- Pacer Data & Infrastructure Real Estate ETF – 24,732 shares
- Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets Index Fund ETF Shares – 34,692 shares
- iShares Gold Trust – 39,934 shares
- Vanguard Commodity Strategy Fund Admiral Shares – 41,712 shares
- Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund Admiral Shares – 44,533 shares
- Loomis Sayles Core Plus Bond Fund – 786,292 shares
- SDPR S&P Biotech ETF – 8,617 shares
- Vanguard Value Index Fund ETF – 8,639 shares
- DoubleLine Total Return Bond Fund – 870,138 shares
- Vanguard Institutional Index Fund Institutional Shares – 91,324 shares.