What is the scientific purpose of the observatory?

The observatory develops advanced telescope facilities for astronomical research including detecting faint signatures of life on exoplanets and testing fundamental theories of physics. The clarity and stability of the atmosphere at proposed sites allows incredibly detailed visual observations of the night sky and precise data collection.

What is the relationship with Hawaii and Maunakea?

Maunakea is one of the best places on Earth for precise astronomical observations, but it belongs to the people of Hawaii and is sacred to many Native Hawaiians. TMT acknowledges its previous focus on the legal construction path was too narrow and is working to contribute to a better future for everyone who cares about Maunakea through community engagement.

What community programs does the organization support?

TMT provides grants for Hawaii community programs including disaster relief for Maui fire victims, sponsorship of Camp Agape youth programs, culture-based and place-based STEAM education, and initiatives enhancing communities through educational programs for youth and adults. These investments demonstrate commitment to the Hawaii community.

What is the organization scale and funding?

TMT International Observatory manages $227.9 million in total assets and generated $13.2 million in revenue in 2024. It operates with 55 employees and 17 volunteers. The organization was founded in 2014 and represents an international consortium advancing astronomical research through next-generation telescope development.

Tmt International Observatory Llc

Pasadena, CA · Founded 2014

International consortium developing advanced astronomy observatory and telescopes

Primary audience

Scientific Community

Work area

Research Development

Topic

Astronomy Observatory

Contact

Robert Kirshner

Website Contact

About Organization

TMT International Observatory advances astronomical research through development of next-generation telescope facilities. The organization operates with 55 employees and 17 volunteers working on telescope design, construction planning, and community engagement. With $227.9 million in assets, the organization generated $13.2 million in revenue in 2024.

What They Focus On

Astronomical Science

Development of advanced telescope facilities for detecting faint signatures of life on distant worlds and testing fundamental theories of physics through precise observations

Community Relations

Engagement with Hawaii and Native Hawaiian communities regarding Maunakea site decisions, acknowledging cultural significance and community input on observatory development

Local Investment

Grant programs supporting Hawaii communities including Maui disaster relief, youth STEAM education, cultural preservation, and community development initiatives

Financial Information

Form 990 data showing organizational financial health and growth.

Revenue (2024)

$13.2M

-56.1% vs 2023

Expenses (2024)

$16.4M

+2.2% vs 2023

Assets (2024)

$227.9M

-1.4% vs 2023

Employees (2024)

-1.8% vs 2023

Year	Revenue	Expenses	Assets	Employees
2024	$13,198,485	$16,449,330	$227,866,179	55
2023	$30,051,390	$16,100,316	$231,193,423	56
2022	$58,918,459	$15,439,309	$225,068,605	57
2020	$35,210,500	$16,942,046	$158,324,359	52
2019	$21,905,401	$29,485,282	$141,427,228	51
2018	$59,389,392	$16,134,505	$146,081,140	52

Source: IRS Form 990 filings. All figures in USD.

01

Scientific Planning

Design advanced telescope systems for detecting exoplanets and testing fundamental physics theories
02

Site Evaluation

Assess observatory locations considering atmospheric conditions and community relationships
03

Community Partnership

Engage Hawaii and Native Hawaiian communities on Maunakea decisions and cultural responsibilities
04

Local Investment

Fund educational programs, disaster relief, and community development initiatives in Hawaii

Programs and Initiatives

Services and programs offered by Tmt International Observatory Llc

Telescope Development

Engineering and scientific planning for advanced telescope facilities capable of detecting exoplanets and testing physics theories

Scientific Research

Support for astronomical observations and data collection to advance understanding of distant worlds and fundamental physics

Community Support

Grants for Hawaii community programs including disaster relief, youth STEAM education, and cultural preservation initiatives

Hawaii Engagement

Collaboration with Native Hawaiian communities regarding Maunakea site decisions and cultural responsibilities

Governor - End Date 5/24

4 hrs/week

Milestones

2014

Organization Founded

2014

TMT International Observatory LLC established to develop next-generation telescope facilities for astronomy

2018

Peak Funding

2018

Generated $59.4 million in revenue supporting telescope development and community programs

2022

Construction Phase

2022

Achieved record $58.9 million revenue with 57 employees advancing telescope development

2024

Asset Growth

2024

Managed $227.9 million in assets with 55 employees and 17 volunteers supporting scientific mission

Associated People

Board members, advisors, and key contributors

Board of Directors

Diana Jergovic Secretary/Governor 4.0 hrs/week

Information compiled from IRS Form 990 and organizational materials.

Executive Compensation

Top compensated officers & key employees from IRS Form 990

Total Reported (2024)

$3.4M

Highest Paid

$894K

Robert Kirshner

Compensated Officers

Name	Title	Base	Other	Total	Hrs/Wk
Robert Kirshner	Executive Director	$837,584	$55,942	$893,526	40
Fengchuan Liu	Project Manager	$372,606	$82,382	$454,988	40
Eric Hansen	Deputy Project Manager	$313,164	$88,267	$401,431	40
Jose Teran	Facilities Department Head	$290,711	$82,509	$373,220	40
Benjamin Gallagher	Telescope Optics Group Leader	$279,677	$64,534	$344,211	40
Corinne Boyer	Adaptive Optics Group Leader	$264,616	$72,236	$336,852	40
Kyle Kinoshita	Telescope Struct. Group Leader	$246,108	$60,162	$306,270	40
Gelys Trancho	Project Systems Engineer	$251,506	$48,812	$300,318	40

Name	Title	Base	Other	Total	Hrs/Wk
Robert Kirshner	Executive Director	$803,719	$54,819	$858,538	40
Fengchuan Liu	Project Manager	$350,329	$80,120	$430,449	40
Eric Hansen	Deputy Project Manager	$300,346	$86,325	$386,671	40
Jose Teran	Facilities Department Head	$282,548	$77,138	$359,686	40
Christophe Dumas	Observatory Scientist	$292,384	$59,312	$351,696	40
Benjamin Gallagher	Telescope Optics Group Leader	$269,178	$61,169	$330,347	40
Corinne Boyer	Adaptive Optics Group Leader	$252,976	$71,497	$324,473	40
James Johnson	Telescope Ctrl. Group Leader	$257,880	$60,718	$318,598	40

Name	Title	Base	Other	Total	Hrs/Wk
Robert Kirshner	EXEC DIR - Start Date 5/22	$666,513	$36,041	$702,554	40
Fengchuan Liu	Project Manager	$333,234	$76,940	$410,174	40
Eric Hansen	Deputy Project Manager	$275,006	$82,580	$357,586	40
Jose Teran	Facilities Department Head	$270,865	$72,466	$343,331	40
Christophe Dumas	Observatory Scientist	$282,086	$52,046	$334,132	40
Benjamin Gallagher	Telescope Optics Group Leader	$254,798	$61,847	$316,645	40
Corinne Boyer	Adaptive Optics Group Leader	$241,694	$67,195	$308,889	40
Kyle Kinoshita	Telescope Struct Group Leader	$229,275	$54,556	$283,831	40
Edward Stone	EXEC DIR - End Date 6/22	$150,194	$17,155	$167,349	20

Name	Title	Base	Other	Total	Hrs/Wk
Gary Sanders	Project Manager	$332,759	$43,987	$376,746	40
Fengchuan Liu	Deputy Project Manager	$265,401	$72,955	$338,356	40
Christophe Dumas	Observatory Scientist	$273,745	$50,892	$324,637	40
Ravinder Bhatia	Associate Project Manager	$256,026	$67,218	$323,244	40
Mark Sirota	Telescope Ctrls Group Leader	$246,724	$67,098	$313,822	40
Eric Hansen	Opto Mechanical Engineer	$237,020	$74,705	$311,725	40
Benjamin Gallagher	M1 Segment Lead Engineer	$233,339	$55,817	$289,156	40
Edward Stone	Executive Director	$244,346	$32,362	$276,708	20

Name	Title	Base	Other	Total	Hrs/Wk
Gary Sanders	Project Manager	$326,672	$43,361	$370,033	40
Christophe Dumas	Observatory Scientist	$269,832	$55,280	$325,112	40
Ravinder Bhatia	Associate Project Manager	$250,670	$64,808	$315,478	40
Fengchuan Liu	Deputy Project Manager	$261,521	$47,030	$308,551	40
Mark Sirota	Telescope Ctrls Group Leader	$237,266	$67,813	$305,079	40
Corinne Boyer	Ao Group Leader	$236,927	$64,059	$300,986	40
Eric Hansen	Opto Mechanical Engineer	$230,091	$69,431	$299,522	40
Edward Stone	Executive Director	$241,566	$31,694	$273,260	20

Source: IRS Form 990 filings. Compensation includes base and other reported compensation.

Partners & Funders

Grant funding relationships from IRS Form 990 filings

$96K Grants Given

4 Organizations

Top Grantees

4 total

Council For Native Hawaiian Advancement KAPOLEI, HI

$50K

Camp Agape Hawaii AIEA, HI

$25K

Consortium For Hawaii Eco Engineering HONOLULU, HI

$15K

Kahua Paa Mua Inc. KAPAAU, HI

$6K

Council For Native Hawaiian Advancement Camp Agape Hawaii Consortium For Hawaii Eco Engineering Kahua Paa Mua Inc.

Source: IRS Form 990 Schedule I filings. Amounts may span multiple tax years.

Contact

Get in touch with Tmt International Observatory Llc

Email

[email protected]

Phone

(626) 395-1608

Social

Visit Website

100 W Walnut Street Suite 300 Pasadena, CA 91124

Tmt International Observatory Llc

What They Focus On

Financial Information

How They Work

Scientific Planning

Site Evaluation

Community Partnership

Local Investment

Programs and Initiatives

Telescope Development

Scientific Research

Community Support

Hawaii Engagement

Team & Leadership

Robert Kirshner

Fengchuan Liu

Eric Hansen

Jose Teran

Benjamin Gallagher

Corinne Boyer

Gelys Trancho

Kyle Kinoshita

An Ramaprakash

Bruce MacIntosh

Christopher Martin

Eswar Reddy

Feng Yuan

Gilles Joncas

Henry Yang

Luc Simard

Michael Balogh

Michael Bolte

Michitoshi Yoshida

Saku Tsuneta

Suijian Xue

Tom Soifer

Tomonori Usuda

Xuefeng Wu

Milestones

Organization Founded

Peak Funding

Construction Phase

Asset Growth

Associated People

Board of Directors

Executive Compensation

Partners & Funders

Top Grantees

Contact

Email

Phone

Social