Home Depot’s GOP Megadonor Bernard Marcus Dies

Bernard “Bernie” Marcus, co-founder of The Home Depot and a prominent Republican donor, has died aged 95.
In a statement confirming his death, The Home Depot called him a “master merchant and a genius with customer service” who “helped create a nation of doers who could tackle any project, large or small.”
“More than anything, he deeply believed in the company’s core values, particularly that of giving back,” the statement added. “He never lost sight of his humble roots, using his success not for fame or fortune but to generously help others. In business and in charity, Bernie was unparalleled in generosity and goodwill.”
Marcus had an estimated net worth of $7.4 billion, according to Bloomberg’s Billionaire Index. His home improvements chain, founded in 1978, has expanded to more than 2,300 stores, achieving a market valuation nearing $400 billion.
Marcus and his wife were the seventh-largest individual Republican donors in the 2020 election cycle, giving nearly $25 million to Republican campaigns, according to OpenSecrets, a nonprofit that tracks money in politics.
The outspoken Republican was a vocal backer of former president Donald Trump in recent election cycles and donated millions of dollars to him and other conservative politicians, including the late John McCain and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
Marcus supported Trump’s White House runs in 2016 and 2020 and continued to support Trump during his recent criminal trials, saying he would continue if the former president was convicted.
In an interview with Fox Business in 2023, Marcus called Trump’s policies “phenomenal,” and that President Joe Biden’s views were “dragging this economy down.”
“While [Trump] was in office four years we had the greatest economy … wages were up minorities working, inflation down, everybody could afford everything, it was a great place.”
In 1978, after being fired from a regional hardware store, Marcus joined forces with Arthur Blank, Ron Brill, Ken Langone, and Pat Farrah to create The Home Depot, which opened its first two stores in Atlanta, Georgia, the following year.
Marcus retired from the company in 2002 and has since remained active in philanthropy. Through the Marcus Foundation, he has donated to numerous causes, including medical research, veterans’ services, and Jewish causes.
Marcus was instrumental in founding the Marcus Institute for Autism, The Marcus Stroke and Neuroscience Center, and other healthcare initiatives.
Marcus and his wife, Billi, were signatories of The Giving Pledge, committing to give away the majority of their wealth.
“It has always been my belief that leaving enormous wealth for our children does nothing to stimulate their ability to make it on their own. I too believe that all our efforts in creating the wealth that we have would give us a great deal more joy if we were to disperse as much of it during our lifetimes,” the pledge stated.
This is a developing story.