Perelman, Ronald

Perelman, Ronald (Owen) (1935–  ) financier; born in Greensboro, N.C. He began sitting in on the board meetings of his father's firm, Belmont Industries, at age 11, and joined the family concern after graduation from the University of Pennsylvania (1964) and Penn's Wharton School. In 1978 he moved to New York City and set up his own business. By taking over ailing businesses (such as Revlon, Inc., in 1985) and returning them to profitability by focusing on their core products, he built a financial empire that made him at one point, reputedly, the richest man in America.