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Daniel K. Ludwig

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Entrepreneur

The Resume

    (June 24, 1897-August 27, 1992)
    Born in South Haven, Michigan
    Shipping magnate
    Owned 60 ocean-going vessels, primarily supertankers
    Diversified into oil refining, banking, insurance, hotels and real estate
    #1 on the first 'Forbes 400' list of the richest Americans (1982)

Why he might be annoying:

    He was rumored to have smuggled booze during Prohibition.
    He had a daughter from his first marriage who he refused to acknowledge.
    He was secretive and stopped talking to the press in the 1950s.
    He was described as profane and short-tempered in business dealings.
    He lost a billion dollars in the Jari project, an attempt to create a tree farm for paper pulp in the Amazon basin of Brazil.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He had his first business success at age nine, paying $75 for a sunken boat, salvaging it, and doubling his investment.
    He sped up ship construction by using welding instead of rivets.
    He was unpretentious and usually flew economy class.
    He used $700 million to fund the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research.
    He was married to his second wife, Gertrude 'Ginger' Higgins, for 55 years until his death.
    Despite his Jari project losses, he was still worth a billion when he died.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 5 Votes: 40.0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 4 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 2 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 7 Votes: 28.57% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 2 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 4 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 10 Votes: 60.0% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 13 Votes: 46.15% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 9 Votes: 44.44% Annoying