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EBay founder Pierre Omidyar is known for the "venture philanthropy" of his Omidyar Network, which has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to support micro-finance, governmental transparency, and social media in developing countries. Now he is also venturing into the arts with a gift of $3 million to the Louvrefor research and educational projects on Persian art.

A fund will be established in the name of Omidyar's mother, Elahé Mir-Djalali Omidyar, who is the founder and president of theRoshan Cultural Heritage Institute, which supports research and education on Persian art and culture. The American Friends of the Louvre will help with the gift's disbursement.

"Thanks to Elahé Mir-Djalali Omidyar's generosity and commitment, long-term projects will allow for the unprecedented promotion of the Louvre's Persian collections, within the museum's eastern antiquities and Islamic arts departments," Louvre directorHenri Loyrette said in a statement. The gift comes at an opportune time for the institution, whose new Islamic arts department will open next year.