Bloomberg reported on Tuesday (November 25) that US pharmaceutical company Lily’s stock has recently hit record highs, becoming the first pharmaceutical company with a market value exceeding $1 trillion. At the same time, the surge in stock prices has also propelled the private foundation of its founding family to reach a record $100 billion in assets.
According to the latest filings submitted to the US Securities and Exchange Commission by The Lily Endowment, the foundation holds 92.5 million shares of Lily, making it the largest shareholder of the company. As of 3:25 p.m. on Tuesday in New York, the foundation’s share value is approximately $102 billion.
John Seitz, founder of FoundationMark which tracks the performance of such institutional investments, stated that the foundation based in Indianapolis is the first private foundation in the United States to surpass the trillion-dollar asset mark.
Foundation spokesperson Judith Cebula mentioned in an email, “We are honored to expand our resources and continue to uphold the mission established by the founder when Lily Endowment was founded in 1937.” She declined to provide further comments on future plans.
With the frenzy around weight loss drugs, Lily Endowment became the largest foundation in the US by the end of 2024, with assets totaling $79.9 billion, surpassing the Gates Foundation ($77.2 billion). The disparity in their assets further widened in 2025.
According to Lily Endowment’s plans, they are preparing to donate $3.6 billion to society in 2025 based on the stock performance in 2024. Due to the company’s stock rising by about 40% in 2025, it is expected that their total donations in 2026 will be even higher.
Since 2020, the foundation’s assets have grown nearly fivefold, and donations have increased by 190%.
Operating independently from the company, Lily Endowment primarily invests its funds in three areas: religion, education, and community development, with a focus on Indiana.
In November, the foundation announced a donation plan exceeding $232 million, telling stories of Christian faith and life. Additionally, the foundation donated to 45 theological schools across the US, with amounts varying from $2.5 million to $10 million.
The nonprofit organization concentrates most of its donations in Indiana, recently allocating up to $500 million to support the state’s higher education institutions in “addressing the challenges and opportunities posed by artificial intelligence for their institutions and students.”