Who is Ronald Burkle? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: Ronald Wayne Burkle

Age: 71 Years, 71 Year Old Males

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Janet Steeper (m. 1974–2006)

father: Joseph Burkle

mother: Betty Burkle

children: Andrew Burkle

Born Country: United States

Investors Philanthropists

Notable Alumni: Cal Poly Pomona

U.S. State: California

More Facts

education: Cal Poly Pomona

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Career

Ronald Burkle’s business career began in 1986 after he founded the investment firm ‘Yucaipa’. He soon began buying and selling supermarket chains, which turned out be quite profitable for him. Some of these chains include Fred Meyer, Ralphs and Jurgensen’s. He also began investing in tech firms such as Airbnb, Foursquare and Uber. He has invested in few startup companies as well.

Throughout his career, he has also served as chairman of board as well as controlling shareholder of several companies, some of these are Dominick’s, Golden State Foods and Food4Less. He has also invested in a branded entertainment company named Three Lions Entertainment.

Ronald Burkle is also a part-owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins, a professional ice hockey team that plays in the National Hockey Team. He had also helped in financing Al Gore’s television network ‘Current TV’. Years later, it was sold to Al Jazeera, a Qatar-based cable news channel.

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Philanthropic Activities

Ronald Burkle founded ‘The Ronald W Burkle Foundation’, of which he is also the chairman. Its mission is to support people from all over the world as well as their communities, by supporting programs that will help in international understanding. Their goals include engaging children in learning as well as promotion of scientific research.

Burkle is also co-chairman of the Ronald W Burkle Center for International Relations at UCLA.

Family & Personal Life

Ronald Burkle was born on 12 November 1952, in Pomona, California, to Betty and Joseph Burkle. His father worked as a grocer. Burkle studied dentistry at the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, though he dropped out after less than two years.

Before he began his business career, he had worked as a store manager, at Stater Bros. He later became a vice president of Petrolane, Inc., parent company of Stater.

He got married to Janet Sleeper, at the early age of 21. She is a great-grandniece of the Wright brothers, who are known as the pioneers of aviation. The couple has three children.

On 6th January 2020, one of his sons, Andrew, was found dead in his home in Beverley Hills.

Trivia

Ronald Burkle is also quite involved in politics. He has donated millions of dollars to the Democratic Party. He has also raised around $ 100 million at celebrity-studded fundraising events which he had hosted for the Party`s candidates.

Ronald Burkle Biography