Herbert Haft

Herbert Haft
Herbert Haft
	Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Died	September 1, 2004 (aged 84); Washington, D.C., U.S.
Occupation	Businessman
Spouse(s)	Gloria Haft (divorced); Myrna C. Ruben
Children	3, including Robert

Herbert H. Haft (August 24, 1920 – September 1, 2004) was an American businessman who was famous first for the development of

auto part businesses in Washington, D.C., and later as a corporate raider

.

Early life and education

Haft was born to

Washington D.C. where he graduated from Central High School.^[1] He earned a B.S. in pharmacy from George Washington University.^[1]

Career

After school, Haft worked as a pharmacist at a local drug store.

price-fixing.^[1] Haft was a lead witness in the case which was eventually won by the government.^[1] The drug distributors - fearful of government action - returned to selling to Dart Drug and the business boomed.^[1]

In the late 1970s, Haft's son Robert, a graduate of

Shoppers Food Warehouse

.

Haft's Dart Group earned $250 million through

Safeway and Stop & Shop. In the 1990s, he was involved in widely publicized conflict with his sons Ronald and Robert Haft, and wife Gloria Haft over control of the Dart Group, a family business

.

In a 1986 speech to a group of George Washington University alumni, Haft said that the secret of his success, was to borrow big: "If you owe someone several thousand dollars, you can't always sleep at night. If you owe someone several million dollars, the banker or supplier can't sleep. It's no use both of you worrying."

In 1998,

Richfood, a grocery distributor for $200 million. Richfood quickly sold Trak Auto to a Tennessee investment group. Crown Books

filed for bankruptcy, and limped along on private investment until its closure in 2001.

In 1999, Herbert Haft launched HealthQuick, an online pharmacy, while his son Robert launched Vitamins.com. HealthQuick failed by 2001.

Personal life

He was married to Gloria Haft for 45 years before divorcing; they had three children: Robert Haft, Ronald Haft, and Linda Haft.^[1] Haft was a member of Washington Hebrew Congregation.^[1] He and his family were engaged in a long-standing and bitter feud^[4] that culminated in his deathbed marriage to Myrna C. Ruben and the exclusion of his children from his will.^[5]

Herbert Haft died from heart disease on September 1, 2004, at a Washington D.C. hospital.^[6]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m Sullivan, Patricia (September 3, 2004). "Discount Retailing Giant Stoked Bitter Family Feud". The Washington Post.
^ ^a ^b DeWitt, Karen (August 29, 1993). "In Feud Over Retail Empire, Family Splits in Public View". The New York Times.
^ "Overview - Combined Properties". Retrieved August 9, 2015.
^ Mayer, Caroline E. (September 8, 2004). "Son Sued Haft to Get $2 Million". The Washington Post. pp. B01. Retrieved February 25, 2011.
^ Ruane, Michael; Mayer, Caroline E.; Leonnig, Carol D. (October 10, 2004). "Family feud reaches beyond grave". The Washington Post. p. C01. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved February 25, 2011.
^ "Herbert Haft, 84; Built and Lost a Business Empire". Los Angeles Times. September 3, 2004. Retrieved August 9, 2015.

External links

Dart Group Corporation, FundingUniverse
Greenwald, John; Chambers, Tresa & Germain, Ellen (August 23, 1993). "Broken In Haft". Time.
Frederick, James (September 27, 2004 ). "Discount visionary Haft dies from heart disease". Drug Store News.

[WashPostObit-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m Sullivan, Patricia (September 3, 2004). "Discount Retailing Giant Stoked Bitter Family Feud". The Washington Post.

[NYTFeud-2] DeWitt, Karen (August 29, 1993). "In Feud Over Retail Empire, Family Splits in Public View". The New York Times.

[3] "Overview - Combined Properties". Retrieved August 9, 2015.

[4] Mayer, Caroline E. (September 8, 2004). "Son Sued Haft to Get $2 Million". The Washington Post. pp. B01. Retrieved February 25, 2011.

[The_Washington_Post-5] Ruane, Michael; Mayer, Caroline E.; Leonnig, Carol D. (October 10, 2004). "Family feud reaches beyond grave". The Washington Post. p. C01. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved February 25, 2011.

[6] "Herbert Haft, 84; Built and Lost a Business Empire". Los Angeles Times. September 3, 2004. Retrieved August 9, 2015.

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