In 2007, she launched VietJet Air as the first privately run low-cost airline in Vietnam which became known as the “bikini airline” after it ran an advertising campaign featuring bikini-clad flight attendants.
A decade later, she took the company public and in doing so became South East Asia’s only female billionaire.
Ms Thao is chairman of Sovico Holdings, the parent company of VietJet Air, which invests in a number of real estate and energy projects.
“I believe that Oxford is the right place to make my long-time desire to contribute to humanity through education, training and research come true,” she said.
“By donating to Linacre College, we hope to make significant contributions to enrich Oxford’s traditions and reputation.”
Linacre College is not the first to change its name following a large donation. Oxford’s Harris Manchester college was originally called Manchester College but changed its name following a donation from Baron Harris, a British businessman who made a fortune in the carpet industry.
Cambridge’s Murray Edwards College was founded as New Hall in 1954, but changed its name in 2008 to honour its alumna Ros Edwards, who donated £30 million, and its first president, Dame Rosemary Murray.
After studying at Oxford in the 1480s, Linacre travelled through Italy studying Greek and Latin, where he built a reputation as one of the leading humanist scholars of his day. His pupils included Desiderius Erasmus, Sir Thomas More, John Colet and Queen Mary I.
