Lyda Hill is a Dallas philanthropist who has invested hundreds of millions of dollars into cancer research, STEM education and community projects.
DALLAS — Lyda Hill, who previously pledged her entire fortune to “philanthropy and scientific research,” was named one of the most influential philanthropists by TIME Magazine.
Hill, whose the granddaughter of an oil tycoon and daughter of philanthropist Margaret Hunt Hill, derived her fortune from her travel business, real estate and investments, according to TIME.
“Because I have a fervent belief that science is the answer to many of life’s ‘impossibilities,’ I made the decision long ago to donate the entirety of my estate to philanthropy and scientific research,” Hill wrote to the Giving Pledge
In 2025, Hill made 600 gifts to 384 organizations, including those in Colorado and Texas working on STEM research and education, public health, community projects, and environmental conservation.
She has donated $75 million to the If/Then initiative, which aims to elevate women role models in STEM, according to Time. She funded a traveling statue exhibit of women in scientific fields, which will come to Fair Park in Dallas during the FIFA World Cup.
Her annual Hill Prizes fund Texas STEM researchers.
She has also invested more than $100 million into organizations working to cure cancer. Hill has won dozens of awards for her charity, including from the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy in 2022.
“As I said, I want to do big things,” Hill wrote in the giving pledge. “I want to make a difference. The more I do for others, the happier I am. So, to Mr. Disney’s comment about it being fun to do the impossible, I would simply add that it’s also good to have fun.”