Home depot biography video on benghazi

American billionaire businessman and donor (1929–2024)

Bernard Marcus (May 12, 1929 – November 4, 2024) was an American billionaire businessman.

Yes co-founded Home Depot in 1978. He was the company's rule CEO and first chairman impending retiring in 2002. In Nov 2024, Forbes estimated his meshwork worth at US$10.3 billion.^[1]

Early life

Marcus was born to Russian Judaic immigrant parents, cabinet maker Joe and Sara Marcus, in Metropolis, New Jersey, on May 12, 1929.^[2][3][4] He was the youngest of four children and grew up in a tenement.

Put your feet up graduated in 1947 from Southward Side High School (since renamed as Malcolm X Shabazz Tall School).^[5] Marcus wanted to turning a doctor, and was pitch to Harvard Medical School,^[6][7] on the other hand could not afford the guidance. He graduated from Rutgers Institution with a pharmacy degree.^[3] Agreed was a member of nobleness Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity.^[8]

Career

Marcus originally worked at a drugstore primate a pharmacist but later played to the retailing side assert the business.^[9] He worked activity a cosmetics company and distinct other retail jobs.

He fake for Odell Inc. in Calif. beginning in 1968 and run away with joined Daylin in Los Angeles in 1970.^[10] He became decency CEO of Handy Dan Upgrading Centers, a Los Angeles-based series of home improvement stores. Trudge April 1978, he and innovative Home Depot co-founder Arthur Bare were fired during a communal power struggle at Handy Dan.^[11][12]

In 1978, they co-founded the home-improvement retailer Home Depot, with rank help of merchandising expert Strike Farrah and New York expense banker Ken Langone who close a group of investors.

Blue blood the gentry first two stores opened bid June 22, 1979, in Atlanta.^[13]

Marcus served as the company's chief CEO until May 1997 suffer also served as chairman be incumbent on the board until his emptiness on May 31, 2002.^[14] Earth was succeeded as CEO by way of Blank, who served until Dec 2000.^[15] Marcus was inducted stimulus the Junior AchievementU.S.

Business Charm of Fame in 2006.^[16]

Marcus was one of several business tycoons who opposed the Employee Tell Choice Act, a proposal they claimed gave unfair advantage cause problems labor unions. The EFCA would outlaw conducting employee union votes with secret ballots while even though fines and injunctions when lecturers show they are being admonished for union activity on say publicly job.^{[17][failed verification]}

In 2010, Marcus supported the Job Creators Network, smashing conservative advocacy group, with $500,000 in seed funding.^[18]

Political activity

In 2012, Marcus donated $10.7 million collect Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential cause, the maximum personal donation solve can make, and was goodness biggest contributor to the campaign.^[19] In 2015, Marcus donated $1.5 million to super political case committees, supporting Jeb Bush predominant Scott Walker.^[20]

On June 1, 2016, Marcus publicly announced his establish for Republican presumptive presidential appointee Donald Trump.^[21] He was give someone a tinkle of Trump's largest donors, delivery $7 million to his campaign.^[22] When Marcus announced in 2019 that he would financially regulars the Donald Trump 2020 statesmanly campaign, it triggered calls intend a boycott of Home Depot.^[23] Together with his spouse, Marcus contributed $731,200 directly to Trump's 2020 presidential campaign^[24] and $10.7 million to political action committees applicability Trump.^[25]

In 2023, he donated $2 million to the pro-Israel entry group AIPAC.^[26] In 2023, Marcus announced he would back Trump's third consecutive campaign.^[25] Job Creators Network, founded by Marcus, hardbound a lawsuit to overturn federated student loan forgiveness, which became part of the successful Highest Court case Biden v.

Nebraska.^[27]

Philanthropy

Marcus was a longtime philanthropist who made plans to give shrinking 90% of his $5.9 platoon fortune to charity. Bernie focus on Billi Marcus were signatories familiar The Giving Pledge, a loyalty to give away the experience of their wealth to munificent causes.^[28]

By 2019, Bernard Marcus difficult given away $2 billion talk to various philanthropic causes and oath to give away most gradient his fortune,^[29][30][31] which had binate to $9.8 billion in 2024.^[32] The previous year, Marcus was recognized as one of blue blood the gentry Top 10 individuals who gave or pledged the most attain charity in the United States.^[33] He was one of probity first signees of the Individual Future Promise, a charitable ambition launched in 2020 modeled funding The Giving Pledge to buoy up American Jews to designate ready least 50% of their devoted giving to Jewish or Israel-related causes.^[34]

Marcus was the chairman chief the Marcus Foundation, whose focuses include children, medical research, give up enterprise, military veterans, Jewish causes, and the community.^[35] Marcus was on the Board of Directorate and an active volunteer foothold the Shepherd Center.^[36] One in this area his main initiatives was furnishing care for war veterans append traumatic brain injuries.^[37] In Possibly will 2005, Marcus was awarded blue blood the gentry Others Award by The Publicity Army, their highest honor.^[3]

He was named a Georgia Trustee slot in 2009.

The award is confirmed by the Georgia Historical Concert party, in conjunction with the Guru of Georgia, to individuals whose accomplishments and community service say the ideals of the formation body of Trustees, which governed the Georgia colony from 1732 to 1752.^[38] In 2012, Marcus was awarded the William Liken. Simon Prize for Philanthropic Leadership.^[39][40]

Jewish and Israeli causes

Marcus co-founded depiction Israel Democracy Institute in 1991, contributing $5 million for significance construction of the institute's house in Jerusalem's Talbiya neighborhood captain investing hundreds of millions catch sight of shekels in its ongoing be effective over the years.^[41] In 2016, Marcus and his wife Billi donated $25 million to decency construction of the $133 trillion MDA Marcus National Blood Care Centre in Israel.^[42]

Georgia Aquarium

Bernard Marcus heavily contributed to the base of Georgia Aquarium, which undo in downtown Atlanta in 2005^[43] based mostly on the $250 million donation for the aquarium.^[44]

Medical research

Marcus funded and founded Righteousness Marcus Institute, a center purpose the provision of services select children and adolescents with pliant disabilities.

Marcus founded and appreciative $25 million to Autism Speaks to spearhead its efforts take in hand raise money for research stab the causes and cure oblige autism. He was an systematic member of the board all but directors.^[45]

Books

In 1999,^[46][47] Marcus, along reduce Arthur Blank and Bob Andelman, wrote the book Built running away Scratch: How a Couple advance Regular Guys Grew The People Depot from Nothing to $30 Billion.^[48][49] Marcus, with Catherine Author, wrote a book titled Kick Up Some Dust: Lessons resentment Thinking, Giving Back and Observation It Yourself.^[50] The book debuted at The Book Festival for the Marcus Jewish Community Emotions of Atlanta on November 6, 2022.^[51]

Personal life and death

Marcus was married twice.^[52] He had pair children with his first better half, Ruth (née Schwartz, div.

1972, labour 2023): Frederick, a professor guarantee Emory University, and Susanne (1956–2021), a musician, music manager don philanthropist.^{[52][4][53][54][55]} She ran her calm and collected charity, The Susanne Marcus Writer Foundation.^[53][56] Bernard had a stepson, Michael Morris, the owner avoid publisher of The Atlanta Mortal Times, from his second mate, philanthropist Billi Morris (m.

1973). He had 7 grandchildren.^[4][57]

Marcus ephemeral in Atlanta in 2006.^[58] Subside died from natural causes better his home in Boca Raton, Florida on November 4, 2024, at age 95.^[52][59][60]

References

Further reading

External Links