H ansjoerg Wyss is a Swiss self-made billionaire and one of the world's most prominent philanthropists. He built his massive fortune by founding and leading Synthes, a medical device manufacturer that became a global leader in surgical instruments and implants for treating bone fractures. With an MBA from Harvard, he began his career in various industries before founding Synthes USA in 1977 and building it into a global powerhouse.

In 2012, he sold Synthes to the American healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson for a massive $20.2 billion in cash and stock. Since the sale, he has dedicated his life and his fortune to philanthropy. He has signed the Giving Pledge and has committed billions of dollars to environmental conservation through his Wyss Foundation, which aims to protect 30% of the planet's land and oceans. He has also been a major donor to scientific and medical research, establishing the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University. He is also a major donor to progressive political causes in the United States, where he has lived for many years.