Ohio State University President Spends Millions on Lavish Lifestyle
ByOhio State University President may have made millions for helming the public university, but a local newspaper's investigative report has found that the university is spending almost exactly as his salary to help him lead a lavish style, coming from the taxpayers' pockets.
An investigation by Dayton Daily News has found that university president E.Gordon Gee has spent $7.7 million in addition to his $8.6 million that he received in salary and other benefits since he assumed office in October 2007.
The Dayton Daily News' review of the spending of 68-year-old on travel, entertainment and maintenance of his 9,600-square-foot mansion is based on the records obtained by the newspaper through the open records request.
It outlines the extravagant lifestyle of Gee of how he travels in private jets around the globe, stays in luxury hotels, uses limousine for commuting, dines at country clubs and swanky restaurants and throws dozens of expensive parties a year for thousands of guests.
But, the university says that endowments and private donations are used to fund Gee's travel and bungalow maintenance.
"No tuition or tax dollars are used to fund the president's travel and use of the residence," the university's statement says.
According to Dayton News, the reason behind keeping Gee's spending off the public eye is that it can be tallied only by examining a number of reports, including the quarterly discretionary expense reports delivered to the trustees and not easily accessible to third parties.
The signature bow ties of Gee too are funded by the university, the newspaper found. According to the records obtained, since 2007, Ohio State has spent more than $64,000 on bow ties, bow tie cookies and bow tie pins for Gee and others to distribute.
The newspaper also found that when he has to stay at local, in-state hotels, his choice is often modest, but when he travels out-of-state and international venues, he bills the university with expensive stay at posh hotels.
The accusations of extravagant spending are nothing new to Gee. He was criticized when Brown University spent $3 million renovating a home for him, where he served as president from 1998 to 2000.
At Vanderbilt University, where he served as chancellor from 2000 to 2007, Wall Street Journal drove attention to the $6 million spent in renovations of the president's residence and a $700,000 annual tab for parties.