246:
204:
family, the son of
Herbert C. Lee (formerly Leibowitz) and Mildred "Micki" Schiff Lee. His father worked for the Shoe Corporation of America, founded by his father-in-law Robert Schiff, and later was chairperson of Shoe Corporation of Canada and Clark International Corp. He had two brothers: Richard
541:
transactions than the leveraged buyouts favored by THL. Lee, who had limited his day-to-day involvement in the firm and had relocated to New York City, told staff that the parting was "very friendly," an account backed up by another insider, who described it as "completely friendly and amicable."
469:
for $ 1.7 billion. Lee was estimated to have made $ 900 million for himself and his investors from the sale. Quaker Oats would subsequently sell the company, which performed poorly under new management, three years later, for only $ 300 million. From 1974 through 2006,
421:
for $ 28 million. Lee reportedly put in less than $ 3 million and when the company was sold two years later for $ 210 million, he walked away with over $ 180 million in profits. The combined company was an early predecessor to what is now
751:
Museum of Jewish
Heritage Announcement: "Thomas H. Lee, President and CEO of Thomas H. Lee Capital, Honored by the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust at its Tenth Annual Heritage
366:
614:, in 1995, after he made public the fact that he had an affair with a woman who was later tried for extortion. Lee's second wife was Ann Tenenbaum of Savannah, Georgia. Lee had five children.
1081:
960:
359:
900:
352:
1231:
182:(THL), the firm he founded in 1974, is among the oldest and largest private equity firms globally. At the time of his death, he was the managing partner of
1236:
1181:
1171:
1089:
694:
235:
994:
1196:
916:
170:(March 27, 1944 – February 23, 2023) was an American businessman, financier, and investor credited with being one of the early pioneers in
731:
478:
private equity funds and completed more than 100 investments, representing in excess of $ 125 billion of aggregate purchase price.
1216:
884:
754:
533:
as the firm was nearing completion of fundraising for its sixth and then-current private equity fund. In the same year, Lee formed
625:. In June 2008, at the conclusion of Hillary's unsuccessful presidential run, she and Bill were reported to have stayed at his
710:
732:
Palm Beach Daily News: "Herbert Lee, philanthropist and
Fellowship of Christians and Jews co-founder, dies" By William Kelly
1042:: "1995: Allegation embroil financier – Woman stockbroker is accused of targeting Boston man for extortion" by Nathan Cobb
1023:
1211:
1176:
1166:
1226:
843:
1186:
626:
1221:
461:
transaction catapulted Lee to prominence. Only eight months after buying the company, Lee took
Snapple Beverages
253:
1191:
559:
1038:
797:
772:
1053:
218:
1011:
1201:
948:
1206:
333:
321:
301:
285:
269:
563:
932:
481:
The final years of Lee's tenure at THL were marred to a certain extent by the firm's investment in
981:
998:
494:
462:
454:
1161:
591:
530:
475:
471:
447:
427:
390:
380:
179:
110:
186:, a private equity firm he founded in 2006 after leaving Thomas H. Lee Partners. According to
668:
796:
750:
1156:
1151:
555:
8:
567:
534:
213:
in 1965, quickly going to work as an analyst in the institutional research department of
206:
183:
117:
96:
827:
803:
673:
587:
579:
575:
571:
486:
341:
71:
221:, where he spent eight years ultimately rising to the rank of vice president in 1973.
634:
629:, beach-front home for a few days for the period when she was out of the public eye.
458:
431:
418:
1106:
646:
On
February 23, 2023, Lee died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at his office in
465:
and in 1994, only two years after the original acquisition, Lee sold the company to
1054:
CNN: "HOW NOT TO MAKE HEADLINES: TOM LEE'S VERY INTERESTING YEAR" By ANNE FAIRCLOTH
490:
435:
398:
386:
385:
In 1974, Lee founded a new investment firm to focus on acquiring companies through
293:
277:
175:
758:
622:
583:
514:
406:
214:
210:
550:
Lee donated $ 22 million to
Harvard University. Lee served as a trustee of
245:
611:
551:
538:
518:
443:
394:
309:
261:
171:
136:
86:
1145:
1065:
595:
510:
506:
313:
201:
618:
599:
498:
423:
402:
493:
contracts that collapsed suddenly in
October 2005, only months after its
466:
439:
414:
410:
647:
192:, he had a net worth of $ 2 billion at the time of his death.
224:
Lee is said to have begun investing with a $ 150,000 inheritance.
885:
Thomas H. Lee
Partners Files Suit Against Former Refco Executives
413:). One of the firm's early successes was the 1985 acquisition of
397:
investors, while taking a friendlier approach than the so-called
453:
After ceding public attention to his competitors, most notably
188:
798:"Thomas H. Lee, a Pioneer in Leveraged Buyouts, Is Dead at 78"
977:
975:
973:
502:
482:
75:
773:"Billionaire investor Thomas H. Lee dead at 78, family says"
497:. THL as the lead investor (and Lee himself) was named in a
393:
was firmly established among the top tier of a new class of
970:
426:, one of Europe's largest jewelry retail chains. In 1992,
217:
in New York City. The next year, Lee went to work for the
987:
982:
Harvard
Gazette: "Thomas Lee Gives Harvard $ 22 Million"
1107:"US billionaire financier Thomas Lee found dead at 78"
746:
744:
1135:
860:
474:
raised more than $ 22 billion of capital in six
727:
725:
723:
578:, Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston,
1082:"Clintons Relaxing at Wiborg's Beach House (Maybe)"
741:
610:Lee was married twice. He divorced his first wife,
1059:
1027:: "Lee divorce case goes to court" by Nathan Cobb
720:
1143:
828:Forbes: "Tom Lee is on a roll" by Phyllis Berman
1005:
823:
821:
524:
438:after several dormant years in the wake of the
669:"Thomas Lee Steps Down From His Namesake Firm"
617:Lee was an avid art collector and a friend of
1012:Funding Universe: "Thomas H. Lee Co. History"
901:Bankruptcy Trustee Sues Big Investor in Refco
638:estimated his net worth at $ 2 billion.
360:
1232:Private equity and venture capital investors
917:Thomas Lee Steps Down From His Namesake Firm
818:
711:Boston Globe: "Mildred Schiff Lee Obituary"
1101:
1099:
951:(Institutional Investor, January 13, 2006)
790:
788:
786:
367:
353:
227:
205:S. Lee and Jonathan O. Lee. Lee attended
794:
537:, a private equity firm focused more on
489:company specializing in commodities and
1096:
1069:: The World's Billionaires – Thomas Lee
933:Founding Partner To Leave Thomas H. Lee
783:
1144:
695:Boston Globe: "HERBERT C. LEE Obituary
667:Sorkin, Andrew Ross (March 23, 2006).
666:
795:Copeland, James (February 24, 2023).
1237:Suicides by firearm in New York City
1182:21st-century American businesspeople
1172:20th-century American businesspeople
1197:American financial company founders
450:in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
13:
14:
1248:
1217:Businesspeople from New York City
1129:
949:Behind the split at Thomas H. Lee
529:In March 2006, Lee resigned from
861:"Thomas H. Lee Partners website"
605:
389:transactions. By the mid-1980s,
244:
1088:. June 13, 2008. Archived from
1074:
1047:
1032:
1017:
954:
942:
926:
910:
894:
878:
853:
770:
545:
434:marked the resurrection of the
296:and the venture capital bubble)
195:
837:
764:
704:
688:
660:
560:Whitney Museum of American Art
1:
844:Thomas H. Lee In Snapple Deal
653:
219:First National Bank of Boston
18:American investor (1944–2023)
525:Resignation and later career
501:shareholder lawsuit against
7:
10:
1253:
1212:Belmont Hill School alumni
1177:21st-century American Jews
1167:20th-century American Jews
1014:retrieved October 29, 2013
995:"Roden Crater Information"
757:December 20, 2015, at the
632:At the time of his death,
594:. He was a major donor to
378:
200:Lee was born in 1944 to a
564:Museum of Jewish Heritage
236:History of private equity
157:
127:
102:
92:
82:
67:
51:
32:
25:
1227:American philanthropists
641:
1187:American art collectors
455:Kohlberg Kravis Roberts
87:Private equity investor
1222:Harvard College alumni
1136:Thomas H. Lee Partners
1001:on September 10, 2013.
627:East Hampton, New York
592:Rockefeller University
531:Thomas H. Lee Partners
448:Drexel Burnham Lambert
446:, and the collapse of
442:takeover, the fall of
391:Thomas H. Lee Partners
381:Thomas H. Lee Partners
228:Thomas H. Lee Partners
180:Thomas H. Lee Partners
111:Thomas H. Lee Partners
1192:American billionaires
736:Palm Beach Daily News
556:Museum of Modern Art
1202:American financiers
1113:. February 24, 2023
967:, December 21, 2005
937:Wall Street Journal
834:, November 17, 1997
568:Brandeis University
535:Lee Equity Partners
260:(origins of modern
238:and venture capital
209:and graduated from
207:Belmont Hill School
184:Lee Equity Partners
118:Lee Equity Partners
97:Lee Equity Partners
62:New York City, U.S.
46:New York City, U.S.
1207:American investors
1138:(official website)
984:September 12, 1996
961:Lee denies discord
804:The New York Times
674:The New York Times
588:NYU Medical Center
580:Harvard University
576:Yeshiva University
572:Cardozo Law School
487:financial services
430:'s acquisition of
401:of the era (e.g.,
342:COVID-19 recession
168:Thomas Haskell Lee
144:(divorced)
72:Harvard University
1092:on June 28, 2008.
1086:East Hampton Star
1056:December 11, 1995
1044:November 24, 2009
459:Snapple Beverages
432:Snapple Beverages
419:Sterling Jewelers
399:corporate raiders
377:
376:
176:leveraged buyouts
174:and specifically
165:
164:
55:February 23, 2023
1244:
1123:
1122:
1120:
1118:
1103:
1094:
1093:
1078:
1072:
1063:
1057:
1051:
1045:
1036:
1030:
1021:
1015:
1009:
1003:
1002:
997:. Archived from
991:
985:
979:
968:
958:
952:
946:
940:
930:
924:
923:, March 26, 2006
914:
908:
907:, August 9, 2007
898:
892:
882:
876:
875:
873:
871:
857:
851:
841:
835:
825:
816:
815:
813:
811:
800:
792:
781:
780:
777:Business Insider
768:
762:
748:
739:
729:
718:
708:
702:
692:
686:
685:
683:
681:
664:
612:Barbara Fish Lee
436:leveraged buyout
387:leveraged buyout
369:
362:
355:
294:leveraged buyout
278:leveraged buyout
248:
232:
231:
145:
58:
42:
40:
23:
22:
1252:
1251:
1247:
1246:
1245:
1243:
1242:
1241:
1142:
1141:
1132:
1127:
1126:
1116:
1114:
1105:
1104:
1097:
1080:
1079:
1075:
1064:
1060:
1052:
1048:
1037:
1033:
1022:
1018:
1010:
1006:
993:
992:
988:
980:
971:
959:
955:
947:
943:
931:
927:
915:
911:
899:
895:
883:
879:
869:
867:
859:
858:
854:
842:
838:
826:
819:
809:
807:
793:
784:
769:
765:
759:Wayback Machine
749:
742:
738:, April 5, 2012
730:
721:
709:
705:
701:, April 4, 2012
693:
689:
679:
677:
665:
661:
656:
644:
623:Hillary Clinton
608:
584:Intrepid Museum
548:
527:
515:Bank of America
457:& Co., the
407:Ronald Perelman
383:
373:
237:
230:
215:L.F. Rothschild
211:Harvard College
198:
153:
147:
143:
139:
123:
63:
60:
56:
47:
44:
38:
36:
28:
19:
12:
11:
5:
1250:
1240:
1239:
1234:
1229:
1224:
1219:
1214:
1209:
1204:
1199:
1194:
1189:
1184:
1179:
1174:
1169:
1164:
1159:
1154:
1140:
1139:
1131:
1130:External links
1128:
1125:
1124:
1095:
1073:
1071:September 2015
1058:
1046:
1031:
1016:
1004:
986:
969:
953:
941:
925:
921:New York Times
909:
905:New York Times
893:
889:New York Times
877:
852:
848:New York Times
836:
817:
782:
763:
740:
719:
703:
687:
658:
657:
655:
652:
643:
640:
607:
604:
552:Lincoln Center
547:
544:
539:growth capital
526:
523:
519:Grant Thornton
444:Michael Milken
395:private equity
379:Main article:
375:
374:
372:
371:
364:
357:
349:
346:
345:
337:
336:
330:
329:
325:
324:
318:
317:
310:dot-com bubble
305:
304:
298:
297:
289:
288:
282:
281:
273:
272:
266:
265:
262:private equity
257:
256:
250:
249:
241:
240:
229:
226:
197:
194:
172:private equity
163:
162:
159:
155:
154:
152:
151:
148:
141:
135:
134:
131:
129:
125:
124:
122:
121:
114:
106:
104:
103:Known for
100:
99:
94:
90:
89:
84:
80:
79:
69:
65:
64:
61:
59:(aged 78)
53:
49:
48:
45:
43:March 27, 1944
34:
30:
29:
26:
17:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1249:
1238:
1235:
1233:
1230:
1228:
1225:
1223:
1220:
1218:
1215:
1213:
1210:
1208:
1205:
1203:
1200:
1198:
1195:
1193:
1190:
1188:
1185:
1183:
1180:
1178:
1175:
1173:
1170:
1168:
1165:
1163:
1162:2023 suicides
1160:
1158:
1155:
1153:
1150:
1149:
1147:
1137:
1134:
1133:
1112:
1108:
1102:
1100:
1091:
1087:
1083:
1077:
1070:
1068:
1062:
1055:
1050:
1043:
1041:
1035:
1029:July 17, 1995
1028:
1026:
1020:
1013:
1008:
1000:
996:
990:
983:
978:
976:
974:
966:
962:
957:
950:
945:
938:
934:
929:
922:
918:
913:
906:
902:
897:
890:
886:
881:
866:
862:
856:
849:
845:
840:
833:
829:
824:
822:
806:
805:
799:
791:
789:
787:
778:
774:
767:
760:
756:
753:
747:
745:
737:
733:
728:
726:
724:
717:, May 7, 2009
716:
712:
707:
700:
696:
691:
676:
675:
670:
663:
659:
651:
650:, at age 78.
649:
639:
637:
636:
630:
628:
624:
620:
615:
613:
606:Personal life
603:
601:
597:
596:James Turrell
593:
589:
585:
581:
577:
573:
569:
565:
561:
557:
553:
543:
540:
536:
532:
522:
520:
516:
512:
511:Credit Suisse
508:
507:Goldman Sachs
505:, along with
504:
500:
496:
492:
488:
484:
479:
477:
476:institutional
473:
468:
464:
460:
456:
451:
449:
445:
441:
437:
433:
429:
425:
420:
416:
412:
408:
404:
400:
396:
392:
388:
382:
370:
365:
363:
358:
356:
351:
350:
348:
347:
343:
339:
338:
335:
332:
331:
327:
326:
323:
320:
319:
315:
314:credit crunch
311:
307:
306:
303:
300:
299:
295:
291:
290:
287:
284:
283:
279:
275:
274:
271:
268:
267:
263:
259:
258:
255:
254:Early history
252:
251:
247:
243:
242:
239:
234:
233:
225:
222:
220:
216:
212:
208:
203:
193:
191:
190:
185:
181:
177:
173:
169:
160:
156:
150:Ann Tenenbaum
149:
138:
133:
132:
130:
126:
119:
115:
112:
108:
107:
105:
101:
98:
95:
91:
88:
85:
81:
77:
73:
70:
66:
54:
50:
35:
31:
27:Thomas H. Lee
24:
21:
16:
1117:February 24,
1115:. Retrieved
1110:
1090:the original
1085:
1076:
1066:
1061:
1049:
1039:
1034:
1025:Boston Globe
1024:
1019:
1007:
999:the original
989:
965:BusinessWeek
964:
956:
944:
936:
928:
920:
912:
904:
896:
888:
880:
870:February 24,
868:. Retrieved
864:
855:
847:
839:
831:
810:February 24,
808:. Retrieved
802:
776:
771:Lee, Lloyd.
766:
735:
715:Boston Globe
714:
706:
699:Boston Globe
698:
690:
680:February 24,
678:. Retrieved
672:
662:
645:
633:
631:
619:Bill Clinton
616:
609:
600:Roden Crater
586:Foundation,
549:
546:Philanthropy
528:
499:class action
480:
452:
424:Signet Group
403:Nelson Peltz
384:
223:
199:
196:Early career
187:
167:
166:
137:Barbara Fish
57:(2023-02-23)
20:
15:
1157:2023 deaths
1152:1944 births
761:May 9, 2006
467:Quaker Oats
440:RJR Nabisco
415:Akron, Ohio
328:(expansion)
1146:Categories
1040:Boston.com
654:References
411:Carl Icahn
83:Occupation
39:1944-03-27
648:Manhattan
602:project.
334:The 2020s
322:The 2010s
302:The 2000s
286:The 1990s
270:The 1980s
116:Founding
109:Founding
68:Education
1111:BBC News
755:Archived
158:Children
93:Employer
865:Thl.com
752:Dinner"
491:futures
417:-based
312:to the
146:
142:
128:Spouses
120:in 2006
113:in 1974
1067:Forbes
939:, 2006
891:, 2005
850:, 1992
832:Forbes
635:Forbes
590:, and
582:, the
562:, the
558:, the
554:, the
517:, and
463:public
202:Jewish
189:Forbes
642:Death
503:Refco
483:Refco
280:boom)
140:
1119:2023
872:2023
812:2023
682:2023
621:and
485:, a
52:Died
33:Born
598:'s
574:at
495:IPO
472:THL
428:THL
1148::
1109:.
1098:^
1084:.
972:^
963:,
935:,
919:,
903:,
887:,
863:.
846:,
830:,
820:^
801:.
785:^
775:.
743:^
734:,
722:^
713:,
697:,
671:.
570:,
566:,
521:.
513:,
509:,
409:,
405:,
178:.
76:BA
1121:.
874:.
814:.
779:.
684:.
368:e
361:t
354:v
344:)
340:(
316:)
308:(
292:(
276:(
264:)
161:5
78:)
74:(
41:)
37:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.