Irving Kahn
Irving Kahn | |
---|---|
New York City, New York, U.S. | |
Died | February 24, 2015 New York City, New York, U.S. | (aged 109)
Nationality | American |
Alma mater | City College of New York Columbia University |
Occupation(s) | Investor and philanthropist |
Known for | Advising the Kahn Brothers Group |
Irving Kahn (December 19, 1905 – February 24, 2015) was an American investor and philanthropist. He was the oldest living active investor.
Kahn was the oldest active money manager on Wall Street.[2] He made his first trade—a short sale of a copper mining company—in the summer of 1929, months before the famous market crash in October of the same year.[3]
Early life and education
Kahn was born on December 19, 1905, in New York City to Mamie (née Friedman; 1880–1946) and Saul Henry Kahn (1875–1964). He attended the City College of New York and went on to serve as the second teaching assistant to Benjamin Graham at Columbia Business School. At the time, other notable students and/or teaching assistants to Graham included future Berkshire Hathaway chairman Warren Buffett and future value investors William J. Ruane, Walter J. Schloss, Charles Brandes, among others. Graham had such an enormous influence on his students that both Kahn and Buffett named their sons after him. Kahn named his third son, born in 1942, Thomas Graham, and Buffett, his first son, born in 1954, Howard Graham.
Investment career
Kahn was a
In a magazine article in 2002, he was quoted as saying: "I'm at the stage in life where I get a lot of pleasure out of finding a cheap stock," adding that his research still pushed him to work evenings and weekends. His son Thomas, then and still currently president of Kahn Brothers Group, said, "My father continues to research ideas and talk to companies. One of the nice things about this business is that there's no mandatory retirement age, and you allegedly get wiser as you get older."[4]
Personal life
Kahn, his sisters, and his brother were, collectively, the world's oldest living quartet of siblings.[5] Kahn himself lived to 109. His sister, Helen Reichert (1901–2011), nicknamed "Happy", died at age 109. The youngest sibling, Peter Keane (1910–2014), died at the age of 103.[6] Kahn's other sister, Lee (1903–2005), died at the age of 101.[7] Kahn outlived his son Donald, who died suddenly on January 16, 2015, at the age of 79.[8] Donald's widow is Phyllis Kahn, who was a long-time former legislator in the Minnesota House of Representatives.
Irving Kahn died on February 24, 2015, aged 109. His death was reported through a brief obituary in the
References
- ^ Financial Times: "On Wall Street: Age old wisdom"
- The Financial Times: "On Wall Street: Age old wisdom"
- Barron's: "Still Going Strong"
- Barron's, December 12.
- ^ The Week: "The last word: The secret to living past 100"
- ^ Lomuscio, James (11 February 2014). "M. Peter Keane Obituary". Westport Now. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
- ^ Geni - Leonore Reichart (Kahn) (1903-2005)
- ^ DONALD KAHN Obituary
- ^ Irving Kahn, New York Times, February 26, 2015.