"I did a lot of math, I made a lot of money, and I gave almost all of it away. That's the story of my life."
Simons's wife Marilyn started the Simons Foundation in 1994 (or '93, depending on who you ask). Initially just a convenient vehicle for charity, it gradually developed a focused vision: support basic science and mathematics education.
**Basic Science (85% of giving):**
- 10-year investigator grants for outstanding mathematicians, physicists, and computer scientists
- Collaborative research projects like Origins of Life
- Support for astronomy, neuroscience, genetics, and biology
- Focus on basic research without demanding immediate applications
**Math for America (10-15% of giving):**
Simons identified a crisis: America was losing math and science teaching talent. People with mathematical ability had far more lucrative options at Google, Goldman Sachs, or tech companies.
The solution wasn't just higher pay but respect and community. Math for America gives teachers $15,000 annual bonuses, but more importantly creates a community of master teachers with high status and esprit de corps. Instead of "beating up bad teachers," it celebrates and rewards the excellent ones. Turnover among Math for America teachers is extremely low.
**Philosophy:**
"Basic science is the seed corn of our knowledge of the world," Simons emphasized. You can't predict where it will lead - just as Chern-Simons Theory unexpectedly revolutionized physics decades later. Supporting basic research today creates tomorrow's breakthroughs.
The foundation has become one of the world's largest supporters of mathematics and basic science, carrying forward Simons's conviction that fundamental understanding matters more than immediate applications.