David Green (entrepreneur) facts for kids

David Green was born on November 13, 1941. He is an American businessman who started Hobby Lobby, a popular chain of arts and crafts stores. Mr. Green is also a big supporter of Evangelical Christian groups in the United States. He helped pay for the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C..

How David Green Started Hobby Lobby

David Green began his business journey in 1970. At that time, he was a store manager for a chain called TG&Y. He took a loan of $600 and started a small business from his garage. He and a partner made and sold miniature picture frames.

From Garage to First Store

His small business grew quickly. By August 1972, David Green and his wife opened their first store. It was a 300 square-foot shop in Oklahoma City. They named it Hobby Lobby, focusing on arts and crafts supplies.

Expanding the Business

In 1975, David Green left his job at TG&Y after 13 years. He then opened a second, much larger Hobby Lobby store. This new store was 6,000 square feet. Hobby Lobby continued to grow into the large chain of stores it is today.

David Green's Book on Giving

In 2017, David Green wrote a book with Bill High. It is called Giving It All Away...And Getting It All Back Again. In the book, Mr. Green shares his beliefs about giving money to help others. He talks about how he believes giving is important for future generations.

David Green's Personal Life and Beliefs

David Green grew up in Altus, Oklahoma. His father was a Christian pastor, and all five of his siblings are also pastors or married to pastors. Mr. Green says that he has built his business based on Christian principles.

Supporting Christian Organizations

David Green is a strong supporter of Christian organizations. He is one of the biggest individual donors to Evangelical causes in the United States. He gives a large part of Hobby Lobby's earnings to Christian ministries. By 2012, he had donated about $500 million.

Views on Health Coverage

Mr. Green has publicly shared his views on certain health care rules. He believes that companies should not be forced to provide health coverage that goes against their religious beliefs. He even took legal action against the government over this issue.

David Green's Family

David Green lives in Oklahoma City with his wife, Barbara. They own Hobby Lobby along with their three children. His oldest son, Mart Green, started Mardel Christian & Education bookstores. His son, Steve Green, is the president of Hobby Lobby and helped create the Museum of the Bible. His daughter, Darsee Lett, works as the Creative Director for Hobby Lobby stores.

The Museum of the Bible

David Green provided the funding for the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. The museum cost $500 million to build.

Artifacts and Discoveries

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