Richard C. Blum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Richard C. Blum
Blum in 2009
Born	Richard Charles Blum (1935-07-31)July 31, 1935 San Francisco, California, U.S.
Died	February 27, 2022(2022-02-27) (aged 86) San Francisco, California, U.S.
Education	University of California, Berkeley (BS, MBA)
Spouse(s)	Andrea Schwartz ​ ​ (m. 1959; div. 1977)​ Dianne Feinstein ​ (m. 1980)​
Children	3

Richard Charles Blum (born July 31, 1935 – died February 27, 2022) was an American businessman and investor. He was also known as the husband of former United States Senator Dianne Feinstein.

Blum led his own company, Blum Capital, which helped manage investments. He also served on the boards of many companies. From 2002 until his death, he was a Regent for the University of California. This meant he helped make important decisions for the university system.

Early Life and School

Richard Blum was born in San Francisco, California. His family was Jewish. His parents, Louise and Herbert Blum, sold robes and raincoats.

He went to public schools in San Francisco. Later, he studied at the University of California, Berkeley. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business in 1958. He then got a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree in 1959.

In the 1970s, Blum supported George Moscone, who was the Mayor of San Francisco. After Mayor Moscone passed away, Blum supported the new mayor, Dianne Feinstein. They got married in 1980. Richard Blum had three daughters from his first marriage to Andrea Schwartz Blum.

Business Career

Blum started working at an investment company called Sutro & Co. when he was 23. He became a partner there before he turned 30.

One big deal he helped with was buying the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus for $8 million. Four years later, they sold it to the toy company Mattel for $40 million. This success helped Blum start his own business in 1975.

Starting Blum Capital

Blum started his own investment firm, which is now called Blum Capital Partners, in 1975. One of its first investments was in a company called URS Corp..

Blum with Ron Conway and Paul Pelosi in 2012

Blum also helped create Newbridge Capital in 1994. He served on the boards of many different companies. These included Northwest Airlines, Korea First Bank, and URS Corporation.

Public Service and Awards

On March 12, 2002, the Governor of California, Gray Davis, chose Blum to be a Regent for the University of California. He served a 12-year term in this important role.

In 2009, Blum received the Berkeley Medal. This is the highest honor given by the University of California, Berkeley. He received it at an event with the 14th Dalai Lama. This event was supported by Blum's American Himalayan Foundation.

Personal Life and Philanthropy

Blum with his then-partner Dianne Feinstein in the late 1970s

Richard Blum was very interested in Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism. In 1981, he tried to climb Mount Everest from the Tibetan side with Edmund Hillary.

He was the founder and chairman of the American Himalayan Foundation (AHF). This foundation has given millions of dollars to build hospitals and schools. These projects are in Tibet and Nepal. The AHF focuses on helping people and does not get involved in politics.

Blum was also a trustee for several other organizations. These included The Carter Center and The Wilderness Society. He was also on the board of the American Cancer Society Foundation.

He gave $15 million to help start the Richard C. Blum Center for Developing Economies at the University of California, Berkeley. This center works to fight extreme poverty and disease around the world. In 2019, he gave another $12 million to support a special teaching position at the center.

Blum also donated money to other universities. These included the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) and Sonoma State University. He also gave money to the University of San Francisco (USF) for global education programs.

In the arts, he supported the Asian Art Museum and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

Later Years

Blum was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2016. He passed away from cancer at his home in San Francisco on February 27, 2022. He was 86 years old.

Books

• Blum, Richard C.; Stone, Erica; Coburn, Broughton (2006). Himalaya: Personal Stories of Grandeur, Challenge, and Hope. ISBN 978-0-7922-6192-6.
• Blum, Richard C.; Hayes, Thomas C. (2016). An Accident of Geography: Compassion, innovation, and the fight against poverty. ISBN 978-1-62634-334-4.