S. Daniel Abraham
(1924 - )
S. Daniel Abraham is an American businessman most noted for his introduction of the Slim-Fast line of diet products and is inclusion in Forbes Top 400 richest people in America.
Mr. Abraham was born in Long Beach, New York in 1924 and served in the U.S. Army infantry corps during World War II. In 1947, after returning from the war in Europe, Abraham bought the Thompson Medical Company, which at the time owned a single pharmaceutical product with annual sales of $5,000. It is now a major, privately held company distributing a wide variety of products. His keen interest in the weight loss industry led him to develop the now-independent Slim-Fast Foods, which is the most innovative and successful weight loss and meal substitute nutritional food company in the United States.
Abraham is also a generous philanthropist and is very dedicated to encouraging Middle East peace as he maintains strong ties to Israel. Abraham has endowed an S. Daniel Abraham Chair in Middle East Policy Studies at Princeton University, and a Chair in Nutritional Medicine at Harvard University Medical School. He has also funded the Dan Abraham School for Business Administration and Economics at Bar-Ilan University in Israel, and the S. Daniel Abraham Israel Program at Yeshiva University, and Honors Program at Stern College for Women. Mr. Abraham holds honorary doctorates from Ben-Gurion University, Bar-Ilan University and Yeshiva University. He is also the founder of the New Synagogue of Palm Beach.
In March 1988, after returning from a trip to the region, Abraham formed the Center for Middle East Peace & Economic Cooperation with then-Utah Congressman Wayne Owens. Mr. Abraham has served as the center's chairman since its inception and it now bears his name in its official title - the S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace.
In March 2011, Forbes magazine listed Abraham as number 269 on its list of wealthiest Americans and number 833 on their list of billionaires worldwide.
Abraham is the author of the book Peace is Possible, with a foreword by President Bill Clinton. The book received praise from many Arab and Israeli leaders involved with the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. Abraham also published his memoirs in 2010, entitled "Everything is Possible: Life and Business Lessons from a Self-Made Billionaire and the Founder of Slim Fast."
Sources: Center for Middle East Peace, Forbes, Wikipedia