Arthur Blank | |
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 Blank in 2016 | |
| Born | Arthur Morris Blank (1942-09-27)September 27, 1942 (age 82) Queens, New York City, U.S. |
| Education | Babson College (BSBA) |
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| Children | 6 |
| Website | www |
Arthur Morris Blank (born September 27, 1942) is an Americanbusinessman. He is best known for being a co-founder of the home improvement retailerThe Home Depot.[2]
Blank owns three professional sports teams based inAtlanta,Georgia, theAtlanta Falcons of theNational Football League (NFL), Atlanta Drive GC ofTGL, which won theSoFi Cup in 2025, andAtlanta United FC ofMajor League Soccer (MLS), which won the2018 MLS Cup,[3] and is chairman of their parent company, AMB Group LLC.
Arthur Blank was born inFlushing, Queens, New York.[4] He was born to Jewish parents, Max Blank, a pharmacist, and Molly Blank. He has an older brother named Michael. Blank graduated fromStuyvesant High School inNew York City.[5]
After graduating fromBabson Institute in 1963,[6] Blank was hired by Arthur Young and Company, where he was a senior accountant. He later joined theDaylin corporation, where he rose to become president of Elliott's Drug Stores/Stripe Discount Stores, a division of Daylin. When Daylin decided to sell off that division, Blank moved to another division,Handy Dan Home Improvement Centers.Bernard Marcus was CEO of Handy Dan and Blank was vice president of finance when both were fired in 1978 as part of an internal power struggle.
In 1978, Blank co-foundedHome Depot with Marcus. New Yorkinvestment bankerKen Langone assembled the initial group of investors and merchandising expertPatrick Farrah helped founders realize their vision of one-stop shopping for the do-it-yourselfer. The first two stores opened on June 22, 1979 in Atlanta.[7] The stores revolutionized the home improvement business with its warehouse concept and Blank and Marcus becamebillionaires as a result. Blank spent 19 years as the company's president before succeeding Marcus as CEO. Blank retired from the company in 2001 as co-chairman.
On May 22, 2024, Blank won theSports Business Journal's Lifetime Achievement Award for his work with the Falcons, United FC, and the surrounding community.[8][9]
In February 2002, Blank purchased theAtlanta Falcons franchise in theNational Football League from owner Taylor Smith, the son of team founderRankin M. Smith Sr. In September 2004, he bought theArena Football League franchise, theGeorgia Force; he moved the team to the city ofAtlanta after it had spent several years in suburbanGwinnett County. In 2023, Blank purchased Atlanta Drive GC ofTGL.[10]
Blank has expressed serious interest in purchasing other franchises. In early 2006, he temporarily withdrew from contention as a potential buyer of theAtlanta Braves ofMajor League Baseball. Some months later, Blank re-entered serious talks withTime Warner and a report indicated that a sale was imminent. However, in February 2007, the Braves completed the sale of the team toLiberty Media. Blank has also founded an expansionMajor League Soccer franchise namedAtlanta United FC that began play in 2017.[11] The club sharesMercedes-Benz Stadium with the Falcons. Blank also helped theUnited States Soccer Federation set up their new headquarters in Atlanta, and the new training center was named in his honor.
Blank is chairman of The Arthur Blank Family Foundation,[12] and serves on the Board of Trustees ofEmory University.
In March 2020, Blank's foundation announced it would donate nearly $5.4 million to aid the coronavirus pandemic response inGeorgia andMontana.[13][14]
In October 2020, it was announced that the newChildren's Healthcare of Atlanta hospital would be named after Arthur Blank after his foundation donated $200 million to the project. TheArthur M. Blank Hospital opened on September 29, 2024.[15][16]
He is a signatory ofThe Giving Pledge committing himself to give away at least 50% of his wealth to charitable causes.
Blank has been married and divorced three times. He has three children with his first wife,Diana Blank (born 1942): Kenny Blank, Dena Blank Kimball, and Danielle Blank Thomsen;[17][18] they divorced in 1993.[19] In 1995, he married Stephanie V. Blank (born 1968), aBlowing Rock, North Carolina native andAppalachian State University graduate.[20] They met when she worked as a designer at a Home Depot store in Atlanta.[20] They had three children - Joshua Blank, Max Blank, and Kylie Blank - before being divorced.[21] In June 2016, Blank married Angela Macuga (born 1968),[1][22] who had three children from a previous marriage.[22][23] They announced their pending divorce on January 1, 2019.[24]
Blank owns Mountain Sky Guest Ranch and West Creek Ranch outsideYellowstone National Park inParadise Valley,Montana. He also owns a 90-meter (295 ft) $180 million superyacht named with Blank’s initials, "dreAMBoat",[25] as well as several PGA TOUR Superstores.
On February 9, 2016, Blank disclosed that he had treatableprostate cancer.[26] On March 17, 2016, Blank announced that he is cancer-free following treatment.[27]
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| Preceded by | CEO ofHome Depot 1997–2000 | Succeeded by |
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