Henri Seydoux, Chairman of the Fourth IHES Capital Campaign

IHES is pleased to announce that Henri Seydoux, founder and CEO of Parrot, will chair its fourth capital campaign, set to launch at AXA’s Paris headquarters on December 2, 2025.

Henri Seydoux’s deep interest in science—and in particular, mathematics and theoretical physics—led him to discover IHES through the archives of Alexandre Grothendieck, Fields Medalist, Permanent Professor at IHES from 1958 to 1970, and a towering figure in the Institute’s history.

His first donation to IHES supported the publication of Récoltes et semailles, Grothendieck’s seminal autobiography, published by Gallimard in 2022. Since then, he has become a regular supporter of the Institute. Demonstrating his continued commitment, Henri Seydoux has pledged an exceptional €1,000,000 to launch this new campaign.

Through this major donation, Henri Seydoux aims to create a momentum to launch IHES’s fourth capital campaign. His personal commitment as Chairman of the Campaign Committee is also a strong testament to his confidence in and support for the Institute’s mission. Henri Seydoux explains: “Freedom of research—which safeguards the independence and objectivity of scientists—is increasingly being challenged, even in countries renowned for their academic excellence. The growing mistrust of science and the spread of misinformation are deeply concerning. I believe it is more important than ever to defend the model of free, curiosity-driven research of IHES.”

Emmanuel Ullmo, Director of IHES, adds: “We are deeply honoured to count on the support of Henri Seydoux, who, beyond his exceptionally generous financial contribution, offers his time, expertise, and network to the Institute. We are especially grateful to him for agreeing to chair this new campaign.”

A pioneer in fundraising for higher education and research in France, IHES increasingly depends on philanthropy to support its annual budget, which amounts to approximately €10 million. Whereas subsidies from the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research once covered the majority of the Institute’s funding, they now account for less than a third. As a result, the support of private donors—whether companies, foundations, or individuals—has become essential to sustaining the Institute’s activities and mission.

Since the late 1990s, and under the leadership of Jean-Pierre Bourguignon —Director of IHES from 1994 to 2013 and now Honorary Professor Nicolaas Kuiper—the Institute has turned to fundraising campaigns to help support its operations. These initiatives are led by committees composed of prominent figures from academia, finance, and industry. By chairing this fourth capital campaign, Henri Seydoux follows in the footsteps of distinguished individuals who have championed IHES, including Raymond Barre, Jean-Laurent Bonnafé, Philippe Camus, Anne Lauvergeon, André Lévy-Lang, Jim Simons and Jean-Claude Trichet.