David H. Murdock

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Not to be confused with David Murdoch.
David H. Murdock
Murdock in 2003
Born
David Howard Murdock

(1923-04-11) April 11, 1923 (age 101)
Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
Occupations
Spouses
Gabriele Murdock
​
​
(m. 1967; died 1985)​
Tracy Murdock
​
(m. 1999)​
[2]
Children3

David Howard Murdock (born April 11, 1923) is an American billionaire businessman, plant-based diet advocate and philanthropist.

Early career

Murdock was born on April 11, 1923, in Kansas City, Missouri.[3] His father was a traveling salesman; his mother worked as a laundress and housekeeper to make ends meet. He is the middle child of three; he had two sisters. He was close to his mother, who died at 42 of cancer.[4] He grew up in Montgomery Township, Ohio, and dropped out of high school in the 9th grade.[5][6] He was drafted by the United States Army in 1943 during World War II.

Upon relocating to

good samaritan, he obtained a $1,200 loan to buy a closing diner, flipping it for a $700 profit ten months later.[7] He moved to Phoenix, Arizona
, and began working there, first in housing and then commercial real estate.

When the real estate market collapsed in the 1960s, he moved to

Iowa Beef Packers company.[4]

Businesses

Murdock purchased

Fieldcrest in 1985.[9]

In 1985 Murdock took over the nearly bankrupt Hawaiian firm

Lana'i, the sixth-largest island in Hawaii. In June 2012 Murdock sold his interest in Lana'i to Larry Ellison.[12] He owns other companies, including Pacific Clay.[10]

Philanthropy

He has helped contribute to the redevelopment of a 5,800,000-square-foot (540,000 m2) complex in

Pillowtex after a series of mergers and acquisitions).[13] Pillowtex filed for bankruptcy in 2003, and closed the mill. This resulted in the largest mass layoff of workers in North Carolina history. Murdock acquired the site and demolished the mill in 2006.[14]

Since the death of his third wife, Gabriele,

UCLA, he oversaw the writing of the Encyclopedia of Foods, A Guide to Healthy Nutrition. In 2006, he opened the California Health and Longevity Institute (CHLI).[1]

Murdock has contributed more than $500 million toward the creation of the North Carolina Research Campus and David H. Murdock Research Institute which research the health benefits of plants in boosting longevity and reducing disease risk.[4][16]

Personal life

He has been married six times. In 1967, he married his third wife, Gabriele; they had two children together and he also adopted her son from a previous marriage, Eugene. Gabriele was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1983 and died in 1985.

Dole Food Company, as well as their audit and finance committee until his retirement on May 17, 2013.[19] In 2011, Forbes ranked David Sr. as the 190th-richest person in the "Forbes 400" list and 613th in the "World's Billionaires" list, with a net worth of US$2.4 billion as of March 2013.[4][5]

Since 1985 Murdock has been a pescetarian and promotes a plant-based diet that is high in fruits and vegetables.[4][20] He drinks smoothies two or three times a day with as many as twenty fruits and vegetables, including pulverized banana and orange peels.[4] He eats fish, seafood, egg whites, legumes and nuts whilst avoiding dairy, poultry and red meat. He also shuns the use of alcohol, processed sugar and salt.[4] Murdock does not take vitamin supplements and claims he can live to 125 years on his plant-based diet.[4]

Selected publications

  • The Dole Nutrition Handbook: What to Eat and How to Live for a Longer, Healthier Life (2010)

References

  1. ^ a b c Hammers, Maryann (1 November 2007). "The Wellness Question". Ventana. Retrieved August 29, 2012.
  2. ^ "Can't Buy Me Love". Forbes. Archived from the original on April 21, 2003. Retrieved November 11, 2013.
  3. ISBN 9780930807733
    .
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Bruni, Frank (3 March 2011). "The Billionaire Who Is Planning His 125th Birthday". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 March 2011.
  5. ^ a b "David Murdock". Forbes. Retrieved 22 March 2011.
  6. ^ "Gates Buys Into Pineapple Paradise". Forbes. July 13, 2000. Retrieved January 6, 2010.
  7. ^ Source BBC GlobalBiz Podcast : Food for Thought 01 Feb 2010
  8. ISBN 9780865262560
    .
  9. ^ Jenkins, Scott (September 16, 2004). "Murdock buys Pillowtex plant ... again". Salisbury Post. Archived from the original on January 8, 2017. Retrieved June 24, 2016.
  10. ^ a b Knap, Chris (January 24, 2011). "State: Elsinore failed to regulate mines owned by legendary developer David Murdock". The Orange County Register. Retrieved August 29, 2012.
  11. ^ Carter, Michael (November 1, 2013). "David H. Murdock Completes Acquisition of Dole Food Company, Inc". Business Wire. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
  12. ^ Rich Meiers (June 21, 2012). "Oracle's Larry Ellison to buy Lanai". Hawaii News Now. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
  13. ^ "The history and culture of Kannapolis". independenttribune.net. Archived from the original on November 8, 2012. Retrieved August 29, 2012.
  14. ^ "Official Pillowtex, LLC to be Acquired by Iconix Brand Group, Inc". sbcapitalgroup.com. Archived from the original on August 26, 2014. Retrieved August 29, 2012.
  15. ^ "Gabriele Murdock, Wife of Financier, Is Dead at Age 43". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
  16. ^ "David Murdock seeks extreme longevity via the “perfect” diet". dcri.org. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  17. ^ "Gabriele Murdock, 43, ActiveIn Several Art Organizations". The New York Times. 16 January 1985. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
  18. ^ "David Murdock Jr. Obituary". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
  19. ^ "U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Report". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Retrieved November 11, 2013.
  20. ^ "David Murdock Pledges Endowment in Perpetuity to DHMRI". philanthropynewsdigest.org. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
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