Gilead Sciences

In January 1997, Donald Rumsfeld became chairman of the board of directors of Gilead Sciences. He stepped down from the position shortly before becoming U.S. Secretary of Defense.

Donald Rumsfeld remained one of Gilead Sciences’ major shareholders until his death in 2021. His stock holdings were estimated to be worth between five and twenty-five million U.S. dollars prior to the outbreak of avian flu in 2005.

In the fall of 2005, demand for Tamiflu (due to the H5N1 bird flu) increased, driving up Gilead’s stock price.

In early June 2020, it was reported that AstraZeneca was interested in a merger with Gilead Sciences.

From 1990-2018 Norbert Bischofberger worked at Gilead Sciences, where his team developed the medication Tamiflu and subsequently seven other means of viral diseases.

From 2007 to 2018 he was Executive Vice President Research and Development as well as Chief Scientific Officer at Gilead.