--- title: Robert F. Smith Is on the 2020 TIME 100 List description: Find out why Robert F. Smith is one of the 100 most influential people of 2020. canonical: https://time.com/collections/100-most-influential-people-2020/5888443/robert-f-smith/ article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2020-09-22T21:51:47.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-07-21T07:22:17.111Z og:title: Robert F. Smith: The 100 Most Influential People of 2020 og:description: Find out why Robert F. Smith is on this year’s list og:url: https://time.com/collections/100-most-influential-people-2020/5888443/robert-f-smith/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt52dfb8d94a694bcc/698a124b8fd2ee4b21361c11/time-100-Robert-F-Smith.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Robert F. Smith: The 100 Most Influential People of 2020 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Robert F. Smith: The 100 Most Influential People of 2020 twitter:description: Find out why Robert F. Smith is on this year’s list twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt52dfb8d94a694bcc/698a124b8fd2ee4b21361c11/time-100-Robert-F-Smith.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 --- Sep 22, 2020 # Robert F. Smith by Samuel L. Jackson and LaTanya Richardson Jackson  AUSTIN, TX - JUNE 16: Billionaire investor and philanthropist Robert F. Smith is seen in a portrait in Austin, Tx on June 16, 2020\. Smith made headlines after agreeing to pay the student debt of the 2019 graduating class of Morehouse College. Currently he is pushing to help African American owned businesses connect with small business assistance programs. (Photo by Christian K. Lee for The Washington Post via Getty Images) (Image produced with a Pentax 67 camera body on 120 film) AUSTIN, TX - JUNE 16: Billionaire investor and philanthropist Robert F. Smith is seen in a portrait in Austin, Tx on June 16, 2020\. Smith made headlines after agreeing to pay the student debt of the 2019 graduating class of Morehouse College. Currently he is pushing to help African American owned businesses connect with small business assistance programs. (Photo by Christian K. Lee for The Washington Post via Getty Images) (Image produced with a Pentax 67 camera body on 120 film)Christian K. Lee—The Washington Post/Getty Images [Robert F. Smith](https://time.com/5857186/robert-f-smith-historically-black-colleges/ "undefined") is perhaps the savviest investor in America today. Through his firm, [Vista Equity Partners](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSDd2jwwHuQ "undefined"), he manages $58 billion in more than 60 technology companies that employ tens of thousands of people worldwide. But even while recognizing his impressive record of success, his most important investments over the years have been in people. Last year, Smith instantly granted hundreds of young Black men the ability to pursue their aspirations [when he donated $34 million to the Morehouse College Class of 2019 so they could graduate debt-free](https://time.com/5591629/robert-smith-billionaire-student-debt-gift/ "undefined"). In addition to generous donations to his alma maters Cornell and Columbia universities, he also gave to the United Negro College Fund to increase educational opportunities for under­represented students of color. Earlier this year, he lobbied tirelessly to secure relief for thousands of minority-owned small businesses. Through his efforts, Congress earmarked $10 billion for institutions that support investment in lower-income urban and rural communities. Robert F. Smith has keenly recognized that the most important way to use wealth and considerable resources is to reinvest in people and their communities, societies and futures. If we can perpetuate this priority, we just may have a shot at creating a [better world for future generations](https://time.com/5840204/hope-better-future-coronavirus/ "undefined"). _Jackson is a producer and an Academy Award-nominated actor, and Richardson Jackson is a producer and a Tony Award-nominated actor. They are married_ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Article","@id":"https://time.com/collections/100-most-influential-people-2020/5888443/robert-f-smith/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/collections/100-most-influential-people-2020/5888443/robert-f-smith/"},"headline":"Robert F. 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