Daniel Ludwig
| Daniel Keith Ludwig | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
June 24, 1897 South Haven, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | August 27, 1992 (aged 95) Manhattan, New York, U.S. |
| Residence | Park Cinq, Manhattan, New York |
| Occupation | Global business magnate |
| Known for | Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Jari project |
| Board member of | Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, National Bulk Carriers, American-Hawaiian Steamship Company, Princess International Hotels, Exportadora de Sal, SA, Citricos de Chiriqui, SA, United Pocahontas Coal Company, European-American Securities Inc., Southwest Savings and Loan Association, |
| Spouse(s) | 1) Gladys Madeline Jones (1928–1937, divorce) 2) Gertrude Virginia Higgins (1937–1992, his death) |
| Parent(s) | Daniel Franklin Ludwig (1873–1960) & Florabelle Leslie (1876–1961) |
Daniel Keith Ludwig (June 24, 1897 – August 27, 1992) was a United States shipping magnate, businessman with numerous companies, and billionaire. He pioneered the construction of super tankers in Japan, founded Exportadora de Sal, SA in Mexico and developed it as the largest salt company in the world, built a model community in association with his huge Jari project on the Amazon River in Brazil to produce pulp paper, and had numerous hotels around the world.
Even though he was one of the wealthiest men of his day, with operations spanning 23 countries, his name was little known. Throughout his business life, he maintained a low profile; he stopped speaking to the press in the 1950s. Ludwig was #1 on the first Forbes 400 "Richest Americans" list, published in 1982.
Daniel Keith Ludwig was born in 1897 to Daniel Franklin Ludwig (1873–1960) and Florabelle Leslie (1876–1961) in South Haven, Michigan, on the shores of Lake Michigan. His grandfather, John G. Ludwig (1842-1920), was one of seven brothers in a family of 13, most of them born in Pennsylvania.. Four of Daniel's grand uncles made their living as captains of Great Lakes vessels. His grandfather's brother, Lancaster Columbus Ludwig (1855-1954), served as a captain on a passage steamer from South Haven to Chicago for many decades.
The senior Daniel and his wife Florabelle separated when young Daniel was 15. Daniel Sr. took the youth to Port Arthur, Texas to live with his grandfather John G. Ludwig. Florabelle Ludwig was left alone in South Haven without any means of support. She remarried Daniel Robert Martin in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1915 and resided in the state of Washington the rest of her life. Daniel Sr. moved to Virginia and remarried Isabel Rutherford. Daniel Sr. died in Manatee, Florida in 1960.
Ludwig's first venture into shipping was at the age of 9, when he salvaged a 26-foot (8 m) boat. He left school at the end of eighth grade to work in various shipping-related jobs on Lake Michigan and in Texas, directly learning such trades as machinist, marine engineer, and ship handler. In Port Arthur, he sold supplies to sailing ships and steamers. He returned to Michigan to take a job at a marine engine plant, which sent him to the Pacific Northwest and Alaska.
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