skull and bones

Sponsored Links:
Early Bonesmen.Wikimedia Commons

Yale's secret societies often seem shrouded in mystery. They are bastions of influence and intrigue that hold among their members some of the world's most powerful people.

But some information about secret societies isn't as clandestine as some might think. Yale's "landed societies" — those that meet in tombs or halls — are registered with the IRS as charitable organizations. One of the societies on our list, the Elizabethan Club, is not a "secret society" per se but an elite social club that owns a house on campus.

These landed societies are legally obligated to file public tax information, since they are 501(c)(3) organizations.

Not all of Yale's societies meet in tombs or have relatively sizable wealth, though. At last count, Yale had 41 secret societies, and the vast majority are not considered landed.

We were able to dig up tax forms for seven landed societies from 2014. These societies have considerable wealth, the majority of which was garnered through original endowments and has been maintained through voluntary donations by members.

Check out the list, as ranked by total assets.

Prev

Next