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Trond Mohn criticises Norwegian generosity while highlighting his own philanthropy

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Mohn has donated over 5 billion NOK since 2007 – Through the Trond Mohn Stiftelse and Tromsø Forskningsstiftelse he has given 2.8 bn, plus hundreds of millions to sport and culture, bringing total private giving to more than 5 bn [1].

Mohn attended the award ceremony for John Smol – In Tromsø he witnessed the presentation of the Mohn Prize to Canadian researcher John Smol, an event linked to his foundations [2].

He credits his father’s legacy for his giving – Mohn says his generosity is “genetic,” inspired by his father Frank Mohn, and notes that around 1900 roughly 80 % of Norwegian legacies originated in Bergen [1].

Mohn funded UNN’s PET centre with 60 million NOK – The positron‑emission‑tomography unit at the University Hospital of North Norway, attracting international scientists, received 60 million kroner, a contribution motivated by his mother’s death from liver cancer [1].

He rebutted criticism from professor Jarle Breivik – After a 1 billion‑kroner cancer‑research donation, Breivik wrote that Mohn was misled about a near‑term cure; Mohn replied that belief is essential to solving problems [1].

Mohn argues coastal Norway is more philanthropic than Oslo – He describes the coastal “race” as having stronger egalitarian traditions, claims Oslo’s elite give less, and warns against government “active industrial policy” dictating research priorities [1].

  • Trond Mohn (Norway’s largest private research donor) – “If we don’t believe we can solve a problem, we never will. We must have something to believe in.”; “We are a different race on the coast; the sea gives us humility and a stronger sense of equality.”
  • Professor Jarle Breivik (University of Oslo, Medical Faculty) – Criticised Mohn’s 1 billion‑kroner cancer donation, stating Mohn is “misled to think the solution to society’s cancer problems is imminent” and that the current cancer epidemic is a problem we are creating, not solving.

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