WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum is behind the largest single donation ever to an Israeli hospital.
WhatsApp co-founder and former CEO Jan Koum made a splash when he donated $200 million to Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem, the largest single donation ever to an Israeli hospital.
While Koum is known for his past charitable gestures to Jewish causes, this initiative is significant because it comes amid conflict. “This gift reflects our confidence in the future of medical innovations and research that will benefit patients in Israel and around the world,” Koum said in a statement.This donation exceeds the $180 million donation made by Shmuel and Anat Harlap to Rabin Medical Center (Beilinson Hospital) in August 2025 to build the “Tower of Hope.”
Where will the money go?
The foundation was founded by Jan Koum, co-founder of WhatsApp. The hospital said the donation came after months of strategic discussions between Shaare Zedek’s leadership and the foundation.The hospital’s name will be officially changed to Kom Shaare Zedek Medical Center.The 24-story building will cover more than 1.5 million square feet, including new surgical and emergency care facilities. The hospital said that the project was in advanced planning stages and had received approval from the Israeli government and the Jerusalem municipality.
“This is truly a special moment in the 124-year history of Shaare Zedek Medical Center,” said Shaare Zedek President Professor Jonathan Halevy. “This record donation by the Koum Family Foundation reflects a remarkable confidence in our hospital, our staff, the city of Jerusalem, and the nation of Israel, and a sincere embrace of Zionism.”This donation follows a $50 million gift made by the Koum Family Foundation to Soroka Medical Center last year, after it was hit by an Iranian ballistic missile in June 2025.
A Jewish American billionaire who does not like to be called a “businessman”
Koum was born in Kiev to a Jewish family and moved to the United States when he was sixteen. Koum has made donations to many Israeli causes: $600,000 to the Maccabi Task Force, $6 million to the Friends of Er David, and $175,000 to the Israel Central Fund. In 2022, he donated $2 million to AIPAC during the Democratic primaries. Koum also donated to two universities: $1 million to Fordham and $41 million to Stanford. He once said that he does not like to be called an entrepreneur because entrepreneurs want to make money but he wants to make useful products.
