Wilmot Hastings on philanthropy
From Netflix CEO Donates $120 Million to Black Higher Education · · Craig Melvin
“These are tragic times. It's a great opportunity to invest in black education and UNCF, United Negro College Fund, has been a great supporter of education for more than 50 years and the HBCUs are the less well understood gem of the system.”
On , Wilmot Hastings, Co-Founder & Chairman at Netflix Inc, spoke about philanthropy during Netflix CEO Donates $120 Million to Black Higher Education on Craig Melvin.
About Wilmot Hastings
Reed Hastings, co-founder and chairman of Netflix, has been speaking publicly about his views on education reform and the potential role of artificial intelligence. In a March 2026 interview, Hastings argued that the U.S. public education system is structurally flawed due to frequent turnover of school superintendents, who he said average a three-year tenure. He advocated for charter schools with nonprofit governance as a solution for stable leadership. Hastings also expressed hope that AI could serve as an individualized tutor for students, potentially doubling learning rates, while noting that such applications are still in development. In an April 2026 event with Teach For All, Hastings described AI as being in its early stages, comparing its current state to early airplanes, and encouraged educators to focus on its potential improvements over the next three to ten years. Hastings has also discussed his role on the board of Anthropic, the AI company, which he joined in 2025. He characterized Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei as a "truth teller" who has publicly warned about scenarios such as 20% of white-collar jobs being eliminated. Hastings noted that Amodei has been willing to forgo government contracts over concerns about mass surveillance provisions, a stance Hastings described as aligned with the company's principles. Separately, Hastings discussed his purchase of Powder Mountain ski resort, which he called his "rebound business" after retiring from Netflix. He described plans for a private skiing community with a clubhouse and lots priced at approximately $3 million, with a total investment of a couple hundred million dollars.