More than £281m given to top universities by anonymous donors, probe shows

Britain’s top universities have received more than £281 million in anonymous donations in the last five years – including from individuals and companies overseas, an investigation has found.

The University of Oxford alone accepted more than £106 million from donors who wished to remain anonymous – the highest amount of any Russell Group university – between 2017 and 2023, according to data obtained by the investigative website openDemocracy.

This included £10m from a donor from Azerbaijan, £13.3 million from an organisation in the US, and £4.2 million from an organisation registered