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Bernard Marcus
| Bernard Marcus | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Organization: | The Home Depot |
| Role: | Co-founder |
| Location: | Atlanta, Ga. |
| Education: | Rutgers University |
Bernard "Bernie" Marcus was the co-founder and former president of The Home Depot, a home improvement chain throughout the United States. Marcus was a donor to political and philanthropic causes in both Georgia and nationally with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.[1] Marcus died on November 4, 2025 in Boca Roton, Florida.[2] Forbes estimated his net worth at $10.3 billion in October 2024.[3]
Biography
Marcus was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1929.[2] After attending Rutgers University and earning a degree in pharmacy, Bernie Marcus got into retail sales in the 1950s. During his career, he worked as an executive at the Los Angeles-based home improvement chain Handy Dan Home Improvement Centers. After losing his job, he and co-worker Arthur Blank decided to open a chain of home improvement stores in Atlanta with the intention of expanding across the country. The Home Depot opened in 1979 and expanded across the country in the following years.[4] Marcus was CEO and chairman of Home Depot until 2002.[2]
In addition to his political donations, Marcus was a donor to philanthropic causes in Atlanta area. In 2003, Marcus and his foundation donated over $2 million to the Centers for Disease Control to establish an emergency operations facility that allowed the center "to employ an integrated response to any public health emergency and better protect the American public."[5] Marcus donated to a number of other health and wellness initiatives, including Autism Speaks, The Marcus Stroke and Neuroscience Center at Grady and The Marcus Autism Center.[6] In 2005, Marcus donated $250 million to establish the Georgia Aquarium in downtown Atlanta.[7]
Marcus died on November 4, 2025 in Boca Roton, Florida.[2]
Work and activities
Electoral activities and influence
Marcus was a political donor for conservative candidates and causes. He donated to the Republican National Committee as well as the National Republican Congressional Committee.[8] In addition to a $1 million donation to Right to Rise USA (a super PAC supporting the presidential campaign of Jeb Bush in 2016), Marcus also donated to the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit think tank based in Washington, D.C.[9][1] In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Marcus said he prioritized economic issues when considering which political candidates to endorse and donate to, saying, "I’m not an arch [conservative] kind of guy, but people like myself want to see someone in Washington who understands that if the country is not strong economically, we can’t be strong period."[10]
Top influencers by state
Influencers in American politics are power players who help get candidates elected, put through policy proposals, cause ideological changes, and affect popular perceptions. They can take on many forms: politicians, lobbyists, advisors, donors, corporations, industry groups, labor unions, single-issue organizations, nonprofits, to name a few.
In 2015, Ballotpedia identified Bernard Marcus as a top influencer by state. We identified top influencers across the country through several means, including the following:
- Local knowledge of our professional staff
- Surveys of activists, thought leaders and journalists from across the country and political spectrum
- Outreach to political journalists in each state who helped refine our lists
Notable endorsements
This section displays endorsements this individual made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope. Know of one we missed? Click here to let us know.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Bernie Marcus'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Salon, "Home Depot founder’s quiet $10 million right-wing investment," August 5, 2013
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 New York Times, "Bernie Marcus, Home Depot Co-Founder, Is Dead at 95," November 5, 2025
- ↑ Forbes, "Bernard Marcus," accessed November 26, 2025
- ↑ Georgia Encyclopedia, "Bernie Marcus," October 23, 2015
- ↑ Centers for Disease Control, "CDC Dedicates New Marcus Emergency Operations Center," April 1, 2003
- ↑ Atlanta Best Self Magazine, "A Talk with Atlanta’s Philanthropist Bernie Marcus," accessed November 23, 2015
- ↑ Executive Street, "Co-Founder of The Home Depot, Bernie Marcus on the Importance of Philanthropy," October 15, 2012
- ↑ FEC, "Bernie Marcus," accessed November 23, 2015
- ↑ FEC, "Schedule A, Right to Rise USA," accessed November 23, 2015
- ↑ The Wall Street Journal, "Bernie Marcus on Obama White House: 'Amateurs Surrounded by Amateurs,'" September 30, 2011
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