Malcolm Glazer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Malcolm Glazer
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Glazer at the Buccaneers' Super Bowl parade in 2003
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| Born |
Malcolm Irving Glazer
August 15, 1928 Rochester, New York, U.S.
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| Died | May 28, 2014 (aged 85) Palm Beach, Florida, U.S.
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| Occupation | Businessman |
| Spouse(s) |
Linda Glazer
(m. 1961) |
| Children | 6, including Avram Glazer, Bryan Glazer and Joel Glazer |
Malcolm Irving Glazer (August 15, 1928 – May 28, 2014) was a successful American businessman. He was known for owning two major sports teams: Manchester United, a famous football (soccer) club in England, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, an American football team. Glazer was also the head of First Allied Corporation, a company that managed his many business interests.
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Early Life and First Steps
Malcolm Glazer was born in Rochester, New York. He was the fifth of seven children. His parents were immigrants from Lithuania.
He started working at age 8 in his father's watch parts business. When he was 15, his father passed away. Malcolm then sold watches door-to-door to help his family. He said this difficult time made him grow up quickly.
Building a Business Empire
Glazer began his business journey by repairing watches at a military base. When the base closed, he started buying and selling real estate. He invested in homes, duplexes, and commercial buildings. Soon, he owned properties all over America.
In 1984, he created First Allied Corporation. This company became the main place for all his different businesses. First Allied invested in many areas. These included restaurants, motorcycles (like Harley-Davidson), and even toys (like Tonka Toys). He also became a major shareholder in Zapata Corporation, an oil and gas company.
Owning Sports Teams
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: NFL Success
Malcolm Glazer bought the Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL team on January 16, 1995. He paid $192 million, which was a record amount at the time. Glazer became the team's president. His sons Bryan, Joel, and Edward also helped manage the team.
Before Glazer bought them, the Buccaneers had not been very successful. But under his family's ownership, the team greatly improved. They won many more games and made it to the playoffs often.
The Buccaneers won their first championship, Super Bowl XXXVII, in 2003. They won another Super Bowl, Super Bowl LV, after Glazer's death. The team also set a new record for wins in a season with 12 victories in 2002.
Glazer wanted to make the team more friendly for fans. He increased activities at home games. He also started the "Gameday for Kids" program. This program invited over 13,000 less fortunate children to watch games. They even got to go on the field at Raymond James Stadium.
Manchester United: A Global Football Club
Manchester United is one of the biggest and most famous football (soccer) clubs in the world. Glazer slowly bought shares in the club between 2003 and 2005. He eventually took full ownership in a deal worth about £790 million.
Some fans protested this takeover because of financial concerns. After Glazer had health issues in 2006, his sons Joel and Avram took over running the club day-to-day. His family still controls the club today. Their ownership stake is split equally among Glazer's six children.
Giving Back: Philanthropy
Malcolm Glazer was also very involved in charity work. In 1999, he started the Glazer Family Foundation. This foundation helps charities and educational causes in the Tampa Bay area. It has given millions of dollars to various programs.
The foundation donated $5 million to build the Glazer Children's Museum in downtown Tampa. This museum opened in 2010. The foundation also created the Vision Program in 2006. This program helps identify vision problems in school children. It uses a special "Vision Mobile" to provide eye exams to thousands of children who might not otherwise get them.
Glazer also supported the Tampa Bay Sports Commission. This group promotes amateur sports. He gave $2 million to this commission.
Personal Life
Malcolm Glazer married Linda in 1961. They lived in Palm Beach, Florida. They had five sons: Avram Glazer, Kevin, Bryan Glazer, Joel Glazer, and Edward. They also had one daughter, Darcie S. Glazer Kassewitz.
Glazer passed away on May 28, 2014, at the age of 85. He had been in poor health for several years. At the time of his death, his net worth was estimated to be around $4 billion.
