The brain capital concept for tuition financing has emerged from a student initiative at WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management. The most important milestones during the development of the model are:

2003: WHU students of the class of 2004 discuss first thoughts regarding a model for income-dependent financing of tuition fees within the student-led "Strategy Work Group" at WHU. They present the idea to the faculty of WHU and WHU Foundation. Prof. Markus Rudolf becomes an early supporter of the idea within the WHU faculty. At this point in time, the implementation of the model is still a very distant goal.

2005: Prof. Markus Rudolf and Marco Vietor push forward the implementation of the project. Legal and fiscal aspects have to be clarified and first capital contributors to be convinced.

2006: The first study fund with private capital contributors is founded and the first Bachelor students at WHU are financed via the recently established model. 

2008: The model of income-dependent tuition financing is expanded to the other programs of WHU (MSc, MBA, MLB, EMBA). 

2009: The 100th student is accepted to participate in the brain capital model. About 25% of the students in the most recent bachelor class use brain capital to fund their studies. Stephan Linden, WHU alumnus and PhD student at WHU, joins the brain capital team. 

2010: again 25% of the most recent bachelor class chose brain capital to fund their studies. Johannes Frankenfeld, WHU alumnus and PhD student at WHU, joins the brain capital team.