PeopleofSuperintelligence

Public voice

Marcus Daniell

Marcus Daniell is a former New Zealand tennis player whose work with High Impact Athletes connects athletes and the public with evidence-based charities. In 2015, he focused on doubles and joined the Effective Altruism movement; he earned a psychology BA with a Spanish minor at Massey in 2017 and a philosophy graduate diploma in 2019. He founded High Impact Athletes in 2020; with Michael Venus, he won the Tokyo Olympic men's doubles bronze in 2021, received the ATP's Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award, and pledged at least 10% of his annual winnings. In 2024, he donated half his prize money in his final tour season and was elected to the IOC Athletes’ Commission. He retired at the ASB Classic in January 2025, received the Sport New Zealand Leadership Award and Tennis New Zealand life membership, and is the founder and executive director of High Impact Athletes as of October 2026.

Now at
High Impact Athletes
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Timeline

  1. 2015

    Effective altruism and doubles

    In 2015, New Zealand tennis player Daniell joins the Effective Altruism movement and focuses on doubles tennis.

  2. 2017–2019

    Degrees at Massey

    At Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University, he earns a Bachelor of Arts in psychology with a Spanish minor in 2017 and a Graduate Diploma in Arts in philosophy in 2019.

  3. 2020

    Founding High Impact Athletes

    In 2020, he founds High Impact Athletes to connect athletes and the general public with effective, evidence-based charities.

  4. 2021

    An Olympic bronze and ATP award

    In 2021, he and Michael Venus win the men's doubles bronze at the Tokyo Olympics. The ATP names him its 2021 Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award recipient. He takes Giving What We Can's pledge in January 2021 to donate at least 10% of his annual winnings to effective organisations.

  5. 2024

    Back With Impact

    During his final tour season in 2024, he donates half his prize money to high-impact charities through Back With Impact. The campaign calls on the wider tennis community to pledge with him.

  6. August 2024

    Election to the IOC commission

    In August 2024, Daniell is elected to the IOC Athletes’ Commission by fellow Olympians.

  7. January–November 2025

    Retirement and New Zealand honours

    Daniell retires at the ASB Classic in January 2025. He receives the Sport New Zealand Leadership Award in February 2025 and Tennis New Zealand's Te Tohu Taumata Life Membership in November 2025.

  8. As of October 2026

    Executive director at HIA

    As of October 2026, he is the founder and executive director of High Impact Athletes.

Career

  1. Since 2020High Impact AthletesFounder, Executive Director
  2. From 2024International Olympic CommitteeMember

Education

  1. 2019Massey UniversityGraduate Diploma in Arts in philosophy
  2. 2017Massey UniversityBachelor of Arts in psychology with a minor in Spanish

From the biography.

  1. More people shaping AI studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology than at any other institutionIncludes Massey University. We estimate where the people shaping AI studied and where their careers led. Massachusetts Institute of Technology leads with 467 former students, including 291 recorded doctorates.
  2. Google had the most people shaping AI every year from 2014 to 2025Our estimates of which organizations employed the most people shaping AI each year from 1955 to 2025, tracing the shift from university labs to companies.
  3. The United States employs an estimated 48% of people shaping AIWe estimate where the people shaping AI work today, how universities, companies and research institutes split across countries, and how country shares have changed since the 1960s.
  4. 43% of living people shaping AI work outside their country of birthWe estimate that 43% of living people shaping AI work outside their country of birth (520 of 1,198 people with known birth and employment countries).

Colleagues

People with dated positions at the same organization in the same years.

Sources and credits

Photo: We have no published photo of Marcus Daniell yet. Send us a free-licensed photo.

  1. Marcus Daniell · Giving What We Can givingwhatwecan.org. Checked 21 October 2026.
  2. TENNIS.com Podcast: Marcus Daniell shares his passion for philanthropy tennis.com. Checked 21 October 2026.
  3. Game, set, give: From class to court to charity massey.ac.nz. Checked 21 October 2026.
  4. Daniell and Venus take tennis bronze | New Zealand Olympic Team olympic.org.nz. Checked 21 October 2026.
  5. Athletes - TryVeg tryveg.com. Checked 21 October 2026.
  6. Marina Erakovic and Marcus Daniell Awarded Te Tohu Taumata Life Membership of Tennis New Zealand tennis.kiwi. Checked 21 October 2026.
  7. Marcus Daniell - Back With Impact — High Impact Athletes highimpactathletes.org. Checked 21 October 2026.
  8. Marcus Daniell Elected to IOC Athletes’ Commission | New Zealand Olympic Team olympic.org.nz. Checked 21 October 2026.
  9. Marcus Daniell - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org. Checked 21 October 2026.
  10. NZOC Congratulates Olympian Marcus Daniell on Sport New Zealand Leadership Award olympic.org.nz. Checked 21 October 2026.
  11. Marcus Daniell - World Class Athlete x World class charity - Do Good, Feel Good — High Impact Athletes highimpactathletes.org. Checked 21 October 2026.