4%-6% is almost certainly sustainable. Higher pay outs expose Harvard to wealth dilapidation. Companies, institutions and even empires come and go. The most su

4%-6% is almost certainly sustainable. Higher pay outs expose Harvard to wealth dilapidation. Companies, institutions and even empires come and go. The most successful adhere to conservative governance and plan for the next century, not the next semester. Harvard was founded in 1636. So far, it has survived 380 years. That's pretty impressive.