(PatriotNews.net) – Home Depot founder Bernie Marcus has passed away at the age of 95, the company announced on Tuesday. Marcus, a key figure in American retail, changed how people shop for home improvement goods and was a well-known supporter of Donald Trump. “He was a master merchant and a genius with customer service,” Home Depot said in their statement honoring him.
Born to a Jewish immigrant family, Marcus started out in pharmacy school at Rutgers University but soon moved into business. Like many entrepreneurs, his career took off after he was fired from a corporate job. At 49, he teamed up with Arthur Blank and Ron Brill, with support from investor Ken Langone, to open a one-stop store for home improvement needs. They opened the first Home Depot in Atlanta, and it was a hit. The store didn’t just offer convenience; it helped fuel small businesses across America by giving contractors, tradespeople, and day laborers a place to buy supplies and connect with potential clients. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when many stores shut down, Home Depot became a gathering spot, providing a sense of normalcy and connection for many Americans.
As Home Depot grew, Marcus became known for his charitable giving, guided by the Jewish tradition of tzedakah, meaning “righteousness.” With a net worth estimated at $11 billion, he donated $250 million to build the aquarium in Atlanta and pledged to give away most of his fortune to charity. In addition, he openly supported Trump’s campaigns, saying in 2016 that he backed Trump because he believed government restrictions made it too hard for small businesses to thrive. “If we started The Home Depot today, we would fail because of the hurdles government, especially the current administration, places in front of small business owners,” Marcus wrote.
Despite earlier support for Jeb Bush in the GOP primary, Marcus supported Trump’s tax reforms and other pro-business policies throughout Trump’s presidency. He praised Trump’s approach to COVID-19 and argued that more people would have died if Biden had been president at the time.
In 2024, Marcus, now 94, urged Republicans to rally behind Trump, saying, “For the first time in my life, I fear for the future of our democracy.” He passed away on Election Day 2024—a fitting farewell for a man who believed deeply in the American dream he helped build.
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