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Founded in 2006, Hillspire is an integrated family office management company serving all the activities of Eric and Wendy Schmidt, including The Schmidt Family Foundation, the Schmidt Ocean Institute, and Schmidt Futures, and supporting 350+ employees worldwide. Hillspire manages more than $5 billion of the Schmidts' wealth. Hillspire engages in a broad range of investment activities on a global basis. The firm's primary objective is to build an investment portfolio focused on long-term capital appreciation. Hillspire focuses on the following investments: publicly-traded securities, traditional private equity activities, real estate and other alternative assets, and third-party managers in the private and public markets. The Eric and Wendy Schmidt Group, directs the family office and helps drive the full philanthropic efforts of the Schmidts. Philanthropic efforts include The Schmidt Family Foundation, which advances the development of renewable energy and a wiser use of natural resources. Its grant-making operation, The 11th Hour Project, supports more than 150 non-profit organizations in program areas including climate and energy, ecological agriculture, human rights, and oceans. In 2009, the Schmidts created the Schmidt Ocean Institute, and in 2012 launched the research vessel, Falkor, as a mobile platform to advance ocean exploration, discovery, and knowledge, and catalyze sharing of information about the oceans. In addition, through The Eric and Wendy Schmidt Fund for Strategic Innovation, the Schmidts support a variety of organizations addressing global issues in the fields of science and technology, education, and the environment. Hillspire bought a 20 percent stake in hedge fund D.E. Shaw for about $500 million.
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