Bernard Marcus

As cofounder of The Home Depot, Inc., Bernard Marcus is a classic rags-to-riches story. His dazzling ascent from childhood in the tenements of Newark to the uppermost echelon of prosperity is legendary. A pharmacist turned retail sales executive, Marcus created a business that revolutionized the retail home improvement industry. In October 1999, The Home Depot made stock market history when it was added to the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the select list of blue-chip stocks used as a stock market barometer since 1896, bumping such venerable firms as Sears, Chevron, and Goodyear. Marcus has announced plans to give the bulk of his estate to his foundation, The Marcus Foundation, which serves four major areas: Jewish causes, medical and health care issues, free enterprise systems, and children’s issues. He has already given more than $120 million to these causes. He retired as president and CEO of The Home Depot in December 2001. In 2005, he almost singlehandedly funded Atlanta’s new Georgia Aquarium. In the same year, he was listed among the top charitable donors in the country by The Chronicle of Philanthropy and was presented with the Others Award by the Salvation Army, its highest honor.