Ethics & Social Responsibility

                 Social Responsibility of Rolex       

  
  Since 1976, Rolex has honoured extraordinary 

individuals who possess the courage and conviction to take 

on major challenges. Each Rolex Award for Enterprise is 

given for a new or ongoing project anywhere in the world – 

one that deserves support for its capacity to improve lives, 

or protect the world’s natural and cultural heritage. These 

projects have touched all aspects of humanity by 

expanding knowledge or improving life on the planet. 

Rolex – the quiet philantropist

  

  Upon the death of his wife in 1944, he established the Hans Wildorf Foundation in which he left all of his shares in Rolex, making sure that an amount of the company’s income would go to charity. Today the company remains a private (estimated annual revenues of $3 billion), contributing over 50% of its profits to the foundation. Wilsdorf died in Geneva on July 6, 1960.

 As one of the top two philantropist organisations in Europe, the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation supports the arts, cultureAs, education helping build sports and educational facilities for schools, theatres, literature,architecture and others. They have also supported NGOs to secure and defend childrens’ rights in African countries such as Ethiopia and Senegal.

The Rolex Institute was created to further the company’s philanthropic programmes:

The Rolex Awards for Enterprise recognises pioneering men and women around the world who work to improve life on our planet; and advancing human knowledge and well‐being in the areas of science, technology, exploration, the environment and cultural heritage. Since the Awards were initiated, 110 Rolex Awards have been presented to receipients in more than 60 countries.

The Rolex Awards for Enterprise: Young Laureates Programme funds five young pioneers between 18 and 30 to deploy their ideas to solve tomorrow’s challenges in science and health, applied technology, exploration, the environment and cultural preservation.

      

The Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative seeks out extremely talented young artists in dance, literature, music, film, theatre and visual arts, and brings them together with great masters in their respective fields for a year of creative collaboration in a one‐to‐one mentoring relationship. Since its inception, 234 people, from more than 40 countries, have participated in the Rolex Arts Initiative.