Bernard “Bernie” Marcus, the billionaire co-founder of Home Depot and an outspoken supporter of Donald Trump, has died, the company said in a statement. He was 95 years old.
Marcus, a former pharmacist, is described in a statement by the company as a “business expert and customer service genius” and “unparalleled in his generosity and goodwill.”
“The entire Home Depot family is deeply saddened by the death of our co-founder Bernie Marcus,” the statement said. “We owe Bernie an immeasurable debt.”
The billionaire made his fortune by founding Home Depot in 1978 with Arthur Blank. The home improvement retail giant started in Atlanta and has since grown to more than 2,000 stores across the United States and a stock market valuation of nearly $400 billion.
Marcus’ own net worth was about $7.4 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. He was a major contributor to the US Republican Party, especially Trump.
He and his wife, Billie, donated $7 million to a committee that helped Trump’s campaign succeed in 2016, and another $7.9 million to Republicans in the 2018 midterm elections.
As of September, Marcus had donated more than $1 million to support Trump this election cycle. He also donated millions of dollars to the campaigns of other Republican politicians, including the late John McCain and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
In a 2022 interview with the Financial Times, Marcus said he was “worried about capitalism” and claimed that “socialism” is so widespread in the United States that “nobody works.” No one cares. “Give it to me. Send me the money. I don’t want to work. I’m lazy, overweight, and stupid.”
The hardware mogul found himself at the center of a boycott in 2019 after his pledge to support Trump deterred many customers from using Home Depot stores. Home Depot sought to distance itself from its then-retired co-founder.
Mr. Marcus served as Home Depot’s CEO until 1997 and as the company’s chairman until his retirement in 2002.
He and his wife were also involved in several philanthropic efforts and had three children.
