David Green (entrepreneur) facts for kids

David Green, born on November 13, 1941, is an American businessman. He is famous for starting Hobby Lobby, a popular chain of stores that sell supplies for arts and crafts. Mr. Green also gives a lot of money to support Christian groups in the United States. He helped pay for the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C..

Starting Hobby Lobby

In 1970, David Green worked as a store manager. He took a loan of $600 to start a small business from his garage. He and a partner made and sold miniature picture frames. This business was called Greco Products.

Later, Mr. Green bought out his partner. His business grew and even hired people with cerebral palsy to help make frames. By August 1972, the business focused on arts and crafts. It was doing so well that Mr. Green and his wife opened their first store. It was a small 300-square-foot shop in Oklahoma City. They named it Hobby Lobby.

In 1975, David Green left his old job. He then opened a much bigger Hobby Lobby store. This new store was 6,000 square feet.

His Family and Beliefs

David Green grew up in Altus, Oklahoma. His father was a Christian pastor. Mr. Green says he built his business on ideas from the Bible. He gives a lot of money to Christian organizations. He is one of the biggest individual donors to Christian causes in the United States. By 2012, he had given about $500 million.

Mr. Green lives in Oklahoma City with his wife, Barbara. They own Hobby Lobby with their three children. Their oldest son, Mart Green, started Mardel Christian & Education bookstores. He also founded Every Tribe Entertainment. Steve Green is the president of Hobby Lobby. He also started and funded the Museum of the Bible. Their daughter, Darsee Lett, is the Creative Director for Hobby Lobby stores.

The Museum of the Bible

David Green helped fund the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. This museum cost $500 million to build. It holds many old artifacts and texts.

In 2017, some ancient items found in a Hobby Lobby warehouse were returned. These 3,800 items went back to Iraq. In 2020, another 11,500 items were returned to Egypt and Iraq. Also, some old papyrus pieces thought to be from the Dead Sea Scrolls were found to be fake.