Billionaire philanthropist T. Denny Sanford dies at age 90

19 July 2026 · Source balance: Centre

Sanford Health announced Saturday that businessman and philanthropist T. Denny Sanford has died at age 90. Sanford was South Dakota's wealthiest resident and a major figure in healthcare and regional development across the upper Midwest. He donated nearly two billion dollars to Sanford Health through a series of gifts beginning with a landmark four hundred million dollar donation in 2007. This gift transformed the then Sioux Valley Hospital into Sanford Health, which through subsequent mergers became the largest rural healthcare provider in the country, operating fifty-eight hospitals and serving over two million patients across six states. Beyond healthcare, Sanford contributed more than four billion dollars to universities, the Sanford Underground Laboratory, and community development projects including a recent fifty million dollar gift supporting Smithfield Foods' relocation in Sioux Falls. State leaders described Sanford as a transformational philanthropist whose legacy will impact South Dakota for generations.