Key Takeaways
- • Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates, funded transcendental meditation scholarships for Long Island University's 2026 graduating class, valued at $980 per participant through the Maharishi Foundation.
- • Dalio attributes his personal well-being, decision-making capability, and professional success to transcendental meditation, which he learned as a 19-year-old student at the university in 1969.
- • The billionaire investor presented a three-phase life philosophy to graduates and distributed copies of his published works—*Principles: Life and Work* (2017) and *Principles: Your Guided Journal* (2022)—as commencement gifts.
- • Dalio's core message emphasized alignment between subconscious and conscious mind through meditation practice, framing it as more impactful than formal education alone.
Summary
Ray Dalio, the billionaire founder of hedge fund giant Bridgewater Associates, delivered the keynote address at Long Island University's centennial commencement ceremony on May 18, 2026, where he funded meditation scholarships for the graduating class. The initiative centers on transcendental meditation (TM), a practice Dalio personally adopted while a sophomore at the institution in 1969—a decision he characterized as transformative to his trajectory.
Each graduate received a scholarship covering the cost of the Transcendental Meditation Technique course, offered by the Maharishi Foundation nonprofit at a standard rate of $980, though income-based discounts are available. Dalio framed this gift as the most valuable he could provide, positioning meditation above traditional academic credentials in terms of long-term impact on personal and professional outcomes.
In his remarks, Dalio credited TM with enhancing his well-being, shaping his decision-making processes, and contributing directly to his professional achievements. He contextualized the practice within broader cultural recognition—referencing The Beatles' documented interest in meditation—and outlined specific psychological benefits, including equanimity, alignment of subconscious with conscious processes, physical health advantages, and a sense of spiritual connection. His three-phase life philosophy was presented to graduates as a framework for navigating career and personal development.
As tangible takeaways, graduates received copies of Dalio's published works: *Principles: Life and Work* (2017) and the companion *Principles: Your Guided Journal* (2022). These books represent Dalio's systematic approach to decision-making and life strategy, extending his philosophical framework beyond the commencement address itself. The ceremony underscores Dalio's conviction that meditation practices and structured principles-based thinking constitute foundational tools for professional and personal success.
Each graduate received a scholarship covering the cost of the Transcendental Meditation Technique course, offered by the Maharishi Foundation nonprofit at a standard rate of $980, though income-based discounts are available. Dalio framed this gift as the most valuable he could provide, positioning meditation above traditional academic credentials in terms of long-term impact on personal and professional outcomes.
In his remarks, Dalio credited TM with enhancing his well-being, shaping his decision-making processes, and contributing directly to his professional achievements. He contextualized the practice within broader cultural recognition—referencing The Beatles' documented interest in meditation—and outlined specific psychological benefits, including equanimity, alignment of subconscious with conscious processes, physical health advantages, and a sense of spiritual connection. His three-phase life philosophy was presented to graduates as a framework for navigating career and personal development.
As tangible takeaways, graduates received copies of Dalio's published works: *Principles: Life and Work* (2017) and the companion *Principles: Your Guided Journal* (2022). These books represent Dalio's systematic approach to decision-making and life strategy, extending his philosophical framework beyond the commencement address itself. The ceremony underscores Dalio's conviction that meditation practices and structured principles-based thinking constitute foundational tools for professional and personal success.
Go deeper than the headline
Research every firm in this story, track the ones that matter and get the daily briefing — free for 7 days.