London Business School (LBS) has announced a landmark £25 million gift from philanthropists David and Molly Pyott, marking one of the largest donations in the school’s history and advancing its ambitious fundraising efforts.
The contribution, made by the David and Molly Pyott Foundation alongside the couple personally, will leave a lasting imprint on the LBS campus. In recognition of the gift, the school’s North Building at Sussex Place, overlooking Regent’s Park, will be renamed the David and Molly Pyott Building. The funding will also support the creation of a major scholarship program aimed at attracting top MBA talent over the next decade.
The donation represents a significant milestone in LBS’s “Forever Forward” fundraising campaign, pushing total funds raised beyond £170 million toward its £200 million goal. It also underscores the Pyotts’ longstanding connection to the institution. David Pyott, an alumnus of the MSc class of 1980, made history as the first graduate to serve as Chair of the school’s Governing Body.
Reflecting on their decision to give, David and Molly Pyott emphasized the school’s transformative impact, saying, ““London Business School has long held a special place for us. We have seen firsthand how LBS shapes careers and transforms lives, exactly as it did for David. We believe deeply that our gift will help LBS to unlock opportunities and achieve its full potential.”
The newly named David and Molly Pyott Building is expected to enhance LBS’s footprint in executive education, supporting the continued growth of its globally ranked programs and reinforcing its mission to develop business leaders at every stage of their careers.
David Pyott brings decades of leadership experience in global business. As CEO of Allergan from 1998 to 2015, he guided the pharmaceutical company through a period of substantial growth and innovation. His contributions have been widely recognized, including receiving the Director of the Year Award from the National Association of Corporate Directors in 2011. He currently serves on the boards of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals and Tarsus Pharmaceuticals and is also a trustee and executive committee member at the California Institute of Technology.
Sergei Guriev, Dean of London Business School, described the gift as transformational. He remarks, “We are proud, humbled, and grateful to David and Molly for this transformational gift that is a powerful demonstration of a deep lifelong connection to London Business School and a strong vote of confidence in the School’s future. Generations of LBS students will be inspired by David and Molly’s remarkable personal journey and their lasting impact on business education, business, and society worldwide.”
Read the full announcement here.
