Home Depot co-founder and Trump megadonor Bernie Marcus dies at 95 | Home Depot

Billionaire Home Depot co-founder and outspoken Donald Trump supporter Bernard “Bernie” Marcus has died, according to a company statement. He was 95.

Marcus, a former pharmacist, was described in the company's statement as a “master merchant and customer service genius” who was “unparalleled in generosity and benevolence.”

“The entire Home Depot family is deeply saddened by the passing of our co-founder Bernie Marcus,” the statement said. “We owe Bernie an immeasurable debt of gratitude.”

The billionaire made his fortune by co-founding Home Depot with Arthur Blank in 1978. The home improvement retail giant started in Atlanta and has since grown to more than 2,000 stores nationwide and a stock market valuation of nearly $400 billion.

Marcus himself had a net worth of about $7.4 billion, according to Bloomberg's Billionaire Index. He made an important contribution to the US Republican Party, especially to Trump.

He and his wife Billi donated $7 million to committees supporting the success of Trump's 2016 campaign and another $7.9 million to Republicans in the 2018 midterm elections.

Marcus again donated more than $1 million starting in September to support Trump this election cycle. He had also donated millions of dollars to the campaigns of other Republican politicians, including the late John McCain and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

In an interview with the Financial Times in 2022, Marcus said he was “worried about capitalism” and claimed that “nobody is working” because “socialism” was spreading in the United States. Nobody cares about it. “Just give it to me.” Send me money. I don't want to work – I'm too lazy, I'm too fat, I'm too stupid.'”

The hardware tycoon found himself in the middle of a boycott in 2019 after his pledge to support Trump deterred many customers from visiting Home Depot stores. The Home Depot tried to distance itself from its then-retired co-founder.

Marcus was CEO of Home Depot until 1997 and chairman of the company until his retirement in 2002.

He and his wife were also involved in several charitable causes and had three children.