Bernard Marcus, Republican Megadonor and Home Depot Founder, Dies at Age of 95

A fierce supporter of Israel, Republican megadonor, and Home Depot co-founder Bernard Marcus has died at the age of 95 at Boca Raton, Florida. The self-made billionaire was “ unparalleled in generosity and goodwill,” The Home Depot said in a statement about his passing, noting that it was “deeply saddened.” “More than anything, he deeply believed in the company’s core values, particularly that of giving back. He never lost sight of his humble roots, using his success not for fame or fortune but to generously help others,” it said.Born to Russian Jewish immigrants in 1929, Marcus grew up in a tenement at Newark, New Jersey and aspired to be a doctor but his family couldn’t afford medical school. After working his way up to become president of a home improvement store chain called Handy Dan, he was fired at the age of 49, leading to his “watershed moment” as he envisioned a first-of-its-kind “one-stop shop for do-it-yourselfers,” Home Depot said.A self-made billionaire, Marcus ended up with a net worth of some $7.4 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.Marcus was active in philanthropy and founded The Marcus Foundation, which focuses on philanthropic giving for medical research and healthcare, Jewish causes, free enterprise, and children’s welfare. After Marcus’s death, the foundation said that as “Bernie loved medical research, Israel and Jewish causes, and veterans,” the family is asking for donations to groups such as the Israel Democracy Institute, Marcus Autism Center, and RootOne rather than sending gifts or flowers. Marcus is “consistently recognized among the top 20 donors in the country by Forbes” and has donated more than $2 billion alongside his wife, the Marcus Foundation notes.Last November, Marcus endorsed President Trump, saying that although he was frustrated at times by Trump’s “brash style,” it cannot “be the reason we walk away from his otherwise excellent stewardship of the United States during his first term in office.” “I endorse him not only because he has the best chance of winning the general election but because he is the best person to take on and dismantle the administrative state that is strangling America,” Marcus wrote in a commentary appearing in RealClear Politics, adding that he would be the best candidate to handle conflict in the Middle East following the October 7 massacre. “Many, including myself, believe that Hamas would not have unleashed its barbarism and cruelty on Israel if Donald Trump was our president today.”

Bernard Marcus, Republican Megadonor and Home Depot Founder, Dies at Age of 95

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