- Bernard Osher
Bernard Osher (1927-present) is an American billionaire, best known for his work as an auctioneer and philanthropist.
Life and career
A native of Biddleford,
Maine , Osher studied atBowdoin College , where he graduated in 1948. After having worked atOppenheimer & Company in New York, he moved toCalifornia where he became a founding director ofWorld Savings , which became the second largest savings institution in the United States. World Savings ultimately merged with theWachovia Corporation . An avid art collector, Osher also purchased the British auction house,Butterfield & Butterfield , which became the fourth largest auction house in the world. In 1999, he sold the company toE-Bay .As a philanthropist, Osher founded the
Bernard Osher Foundation in 1977. The foundation is a major supporter of higher education and the arts, Osher has consequently become known as "the quiet philanthropist."In 2005,
Forbes listed him as the 584th richest man in the world, and in 2006, they listed him as the 746th. Also, in the November 26, 2007 issue of "Businessweek ", he was listed as the 11th most generous philanthropist. The article cited the $805 million that he has given to arts, educational, and social services in his life. He is married toBarbro Sachs-Osher .External links
* http://www.osherfoundation.org/index.php?board_bio
* http://www.forbes.com/static/bill2005/LIRXFVQ.html?passListId=10&passYear=2005&passListType=Person&uniqueId=XFVQ&datatype=Person
* http://www.bowdoin.edu/news/archives/1bowdoincampus/004638.shtml
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