Daniel K. Ludwig

Daniel Keith Ludwig ( * June 24, 1897 in South Haven, Michigan; † August 27, 1992 in New York City ) was an American ship owner, entrepreneur and philanthropist. Ludwig was due to its billion assets from time to time the richest man in the world.

Life

After leaving school, Louis hired as a machinist and designer at various shipping companies. Finally, in the 1930s he started his own business with the company National Bulk Carriers. He designed and built the then largest tanker in the world, which are still regarded as a milestone in the history of shipbuilding. Due to the commercial success of his shipping company, which grew into the largest in the history of the United States and worked mainly in the oil business ( its tanker fleet had about five million deadweight tons ), and by investing, inter alia, land and property, Ludwig earned a billion-dollar fortune. He owned, among others, own mines, oil fields, a shipyard in Japan, as well as a banking house.

Ludwig, who always lived a very retired life, was a significant art collector, patron and philanthropist. In 1971 he founded the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, which is partially funded to date from its foundation assets.