Oxford Professor Resigns Over Blavatnik's Trump Ties, Tate Benefactor Named

In August 2017, Bo Rothstein, a faculty member at the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford University, stepped down amid claims that donor Leonard Blavatnik had financially backed Donald Trump's presidential inauguration. Blavatnik, a billionaire originally from Ukraine, donated £75 million for the school's establishment in 2015, a move that drew criticism from scholars who called on Oxford to distance itself from allies of Putin. Additionally, he significantly funded the Tate Modern extension, which debuted in June 2016, and in May 2017, the building was named the Blavatnik Building to honor his contribution of over £50 million. The Guardian covered Rothstein's resignation, emphasizing the ongoing examination of funding sources in academia and cultural sectors.