This is factually incorrect. The endowment is separate from the operating budget, which is where JPL comes in as a factor. The endowment is large because of several 'home runs,' in the fundraising parlance, specifically Gordon Moore's $600M donation in 2003, the largest donation to higher education ever and hundreds of millions in smaller donations by the Moore Foundation, as well as other large ticket donations by successful Caltech alumni and LA notables, like Eli Broad. The JPL budget is separated out from the Caltech general operating budget, which you can learn more about here: http://annual-report.caltech.edu/
We were actually offered Los Alamos, too, after several security breaches under their UCLA managers, but our faculty board turned it down, resulting in UCLA getting the contract again. Amusingly, the result of UCLA management's security failings was that they got paid a higher rate for the same duties. Gotta love the government sometimes, heh.
We were actually offered Los Alamos, too, after several security breaches under their UCLA managers, but our faculty board turned it down, resulting in UCLA getting the contract again. Amusingly, the result of UCLA management's security failings was that they got paid a higher rate for the same duties. Gotta love the government sometimes, heh.