Bermuda Resident Donates $50 Million to Oxford

A Bermuda resident has donated $50 million dollars to Britain’s Oxford University, five years after initially donating $100 million to the institution.

Dr. James Martin, a technology entrepreneur considered one of the world’s foremost computer scientists, lives on his own private island in Bermuda.

He is the owner of Agars Island, which is approximately 200 yards off Point Shares in Pembroke. The island was previously owned by the British military, and once housed Bermuda’s first aquarium.

The island is said to contain houses, a beach, infinity swimming pool, tennis courts, squash courts, docks, atrium, huge art collection, a 300-year-old temple brought from Bali and the ruins of a 19th-century fort.

Photo by Tom King

Dr Martin first gained credence by predicting mobile phones and the internet in 1977 – before anyone else had heard of them. His 1977 book, “The Wired Society: A Challenge for Tomorrow,” based on his predictions about technology that foresaw the advent of the Internet, was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize.

He is an expert in the field of systems design, software development methodology, information engineering and computer-aided software engineering. He was one of the first to promote fourth-generation programming languages, and is the main developer of the Rapid Application Development methodology.

In addition Dr. Martin has written over 100 books, and Computerworld ranked him fourth among the 25 individuals who have most influenced the world of computer science.

In 2009, Dr Martin had offered to match donations up to a total of $50 million to Oxford, his alma mater. Within one year, the $50 million was raised, which Dr Martin then doubled.

The monies will go towards research at the James Martin 21st Century School at the University of Oxford. In 2005 Dr. Martin donated $100 million to help establish the facility.

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