Harvard seeks to sell $1 billion in assets amid Trump funding freeze

Harvard University is in talks to sell $1 billion worth of private equity assets, Bloomberg reported, as the institution faces a major funding freeze imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration.

According to the report, the assets are part of Harvard’s private equity portfolio. The university is working with Jefferies Financial Group to transfer stakes to investment firm Lexington Partners. Terms of the deal are still under negotiation and may change.

Efforts to offload the portfolio reportedly began in 2024, before Trump’s inauguration.

Earlier this month, Trump proposed stripping Harvard of its tax-exempt status, accusing the university of acting as a political organization. The U.S. Department of Education has since frozen $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in long-term contracts allocated to the university.