How Bernie Marcus built Home Depot and a fortune

Bernie Marcus, who passed away at the age of 95, spent much of his life affiliated with Home Depot, the home improvement empire he played a significant role in building. Prior to achieving this status, however, Marcus harbored aspirations of becoming a doctor. Unfortunately, due to financial constraints, he was unable to attend medical school and instead pursued pharmacy school at Rutgers University.

Post his medical education, Marcus shifted his focus to the business world. He took on leadership positions in manufacturing companies before ultimately finding his niche in the home improvement industry. A pivotal moment in his career came in 1978 when he was dismissed from his job at Handy Dan, a home improvement retailer that no longer exists. Rather than allowing this setback to define him, Marcus chose to start anew, which eventually paved the way for the establishment of Home Depot.

Marcus' personal and professional journey is intrinsically linked to medicine. Although he never pursued a medical career, his medical aspirations continued to influence his philanthropic endeavors. The Marcus Foundation, co-founded by Marcus and his wife Billi, has been a major conduit for his charitable contributions. The foundation has donated substantial sums towards medical research and various health-related initiatives, with one recent gift of $28.7 million directed towards heart research.

This heart research initiative is part of a broader philanthropic portfolio managed by The Marcus Foundation. Established in 1989, the foundation has disbursed over $2.7 billion through more than 3,500 grants across a range of sectors, including medical research, children's welfare, veterans' support, Jewish causes, and free enterprise. Medicine, however, has consistently remained a central focus of the foundation's giving.