Bernard Marcus

Bernard Marcus (May 12, 1929 – November 4, 2024) was an American billionaire businessman, philanthropist, and conservative political donor renowned for co-founding The Home Depot, Inc., in 1978 and serving as its inaugural chief executive officer and chairman until 2002. Born to Russian Jewish immigrant parents in a Newark, New Jersey tenement, Marcus overcame poverty through self-determination, initially aspiring to medicine before entering retail after earning a pharmacy degree. After being dismissed from Handy Dan Improvement Centers, he partnered with Arthur Blank to launch Home Depot as a warehouse-style retailer offering low prices and knowledgeable staff, pioneering the big-box home improvement model that grew into the world's largest chain with over 2,300 stores and annual revenues exceeding $150 billion. Retiring with a net worth estimated at $10.3 billion, Marcus channeled his fortune into philanthropy via The Marcus Foundation, donating more than $2.7 billion over three decades to causes including medical research, children's welfare, Jewish community initiatives, and the Georgia Aquarium, which he helped establish as a major Atlanta landmark. A vocal advocate for free-market principles and critic of regulatory overreach, he emerged as a prolific Republican supporter, contributing tens of millions to candidates and super PACs, including substantial backing for Donald Trump's campaigns, while emphasizing entrepreneurship and national defense in his public commentary.