Wife of Former Microsoft CEO Gifts NPR One of Its Biggest Donations in History
By Paloma Chavez
Published on April 16, 2026.
National Public Radio (PSP) has received one of its largest donations to date, totaling $113 million. The donations were made by Connie Ballmer, wife of former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. The money will be used to implement technology into news coverage for audiences who don't just listen to public radio but want it. An anonymous donor also donated $33 million to build tools to analyze consumers, market themselves, and raise further funding. These donations come after Congress voted to eliminate all $1.1 billion in federal funding for public media last summer. However, a federal court judge ruled that President Donald Trump violated NPR's First Amendment right and permanently blocked part of his executive order to cut the network's federal funding.