Luis A. Ubinas began a dream job in January 2008.

By the time he is done with the latest chapter of his life, the ‘House that Sandy Built’ may become shorthand for Cornell Medical College, rather than now-teetering Citigroup.

Google co-founder Sergey Brin, who carries a gene mutation that predisposes him to Parkinson’s disease, is contributing his DNA and millions of dollars to research into the condition’s genetic basis.

Tom Daschle was also dogged by his connections to EduCap, a nonprofit group specializing in student loans.

New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, a billionaire, made progress last year on his effort to give away most of his fortune in his lifetime.

A bad year for Wall Street and a bad year for Bernard L. Madoff is turning out to be a bad year for the Harlem Children’s Zone, a successful New York City education reform project.

Billionaire Eli Broad has agreed to bail out the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles with a gift of up to $30 million.

One charity with Madoff connections has managed to emerge unscathed.

Mark C. Pigott, 54, isn’t British, but the millionaire trucking industry executive who lives in Washington state has made it his mission to help English institutions flourish.

A trial that has riveted the world of philanthropy ended today with the conviction of Alberto W. Vilar, a man who pledged, and sometimes gave, millions of dollars to the arts.

After pumping more than a half million dollars into overturning gay marriage in California, Jim Dobson’s Focus on the Family has fallen on hard economic times.

Apparently, a billionaire has the prerogative to change his mind.

While many billionaires watch their portfolios shrivel, and nonprofit organizations worry about their reliance on those portfolios, one well-known philanthropist plans to expand his giving.

Thomas J. Petters gave hundreds of thousands of dollars to political candidates, Democrats and Republicans alike. And he has given millions to institutions of higher education.

A sign in Paul Newman’s Westport Conn. offices famously read: “If I had a plan, I would be screwed.”

Dallas oil, wind and water billionaire T. Boone Pickens, it seems, is everywhere.

There he is in Forbes magazine, allowing a reporter to accompany him as he receives a brain scan. Result: Boone just turned 80, but “his brain age is more like 55.”

Pity the child with the silver spoon. No matter what he accomplishes in life, it won’t measure up to the achievements of mom and dad.

Nonprofits, no matter how serious their mission, understand that famous names attract money, connections and high attendance at organization events.

Microsoft’s employee No. 105 will soon become the No. 1 employee at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the largest foundation in the world.

Noting that as he gets older, he gets more tolerant, the once anti-religious Ted Turner has joined two religious organizations to reduce malaria in Africa.