What does Madison Industries do? Larry Gies fortune explored in wake of monumental $100 million donation to Illinois Athletics

Larry Gies has recently donated $100 million to the Illinois Athletics on September 9, 2025. Notably, the University of Illinois Football Stadium will now be known as Gies Memorial Stadium, as stated by USA Today.

For the unversed, Gies is the CEO of a private company called Madison Industries. The company website says that they work to create “entrepreneurially driven” market leaders, who can contribute to making the world safe and healthy through innovative solutions.

The University of Illinois said in its donation announcement that Larry’s latest initiative is a tribute to his late father, Larry Gies, Sr.

The donation aims to preserve the legacy of the philanthropist’s father, who served in the US Army, and the football stadium will honor the brave soldiers who fight every day to protect the nation.

Larry addressed the same by saying:

“With this investment, we can ensure that this stadium continues to be a place where their sacrifices will never be forgotten - and a shining light for every American who protects our freedom in the future.”

USA Today stated that Gies has previously donated $150 million to the University of Illinois, following which the business school was named after him in 2017.

Larry said that sports have been an important part of the University of Illinois and continued:

“I fully support [athletic director] Josh’s [Whitman] mission and the culture he has built at Illinois Athletics. Illini sports moments bring our Orange & Blue community closer together, and I am so looking forward to the memories we create together in the coming years.”

Larry Gies has accumulated a lot of wealth over the years

The Decatur, Illinois, native has grabbed a lot of attention after his recent donation. Notably, he reportedly boasts a fortune of $1.5 billion, a result of his association with Madison Industries for many years.

Larry’s company website stated that, apart from being their CEO, he has been invited to speak at different universities and is also the President of an organization called The Gies Foundation.

He is also a board member of Northwestern University, the Accelerate Institute, and more.

Larry Gies even helped to form The Gies Campus of Chicago Jesuit Academy, which provides a scholarship school for students from 3^rd to 8^th grade on the West Side, Chicago.

Apart from being a student of the University of Illinois, he completed his higher studies at Northwestern University.

A report by Poets & Quants in October 2022 stated that more than 9,000 students were enrolled at the Gies College of Business.

There was also an increase in graduate students, faculty members, senior professors, scholarships, certificate programs, and academic centers.

Apart from these, other alumni from the University of Illinois also started contributing after the news of Larry’s donation started trending everywhere. The institute reportedly raised more than $200 million.

Meanwhile, Madison Industries helps to empower companies whose products can help change the lives of everyone.

It has created market leaders for different fields such as medical diagnostics, industrial equipment, advertising, and more.