Ronald Burkle Founder of the investment fund "Yucaipa Companies" Date of Birth: 12.11.1952 Country: USA

Biography of Ronald Burkle

Ronald Burkle, born on November 12, 1952, is an influential American entrepreneur and philanthropist. He is one of the wealthiest billionaires in Los Angeles, with his business empire based on a network of supermarkets. Burkle is actively involved in the political life of the country and is a staunch supporter of the Democratic Party.

In 1986, Ronald Burkle founded the investment fund "Yucaipa Companies," with its headquarters located in Los Angeles. He is renowned as an outstanding investor in the retail industry. Burkle serves as the Chairman of the Board and holds a controlling stake in numerous companies such as Alliance Entertainment, Golden State Foods, Dominick's, Fred Meyer, Ralphs, and Food4Less. Additionally, he is a board member of Occidental Petroleum Corporation, KB Home, and the internet resource Yahoo. Burkle also owns the national ice hockey team, the Pittsburgh Penguins.

As a passionate advocate for democracy, Ronald Burkle raised nearly one million dollars for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. He also provides his patronage to the California State Treasury, specifically to Phil Angelides, and has hired former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown to work for him. Burkle continuously contributes to the economy of California, which is governed by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

In June 2007, Ronald Burkle announced that he had invested approximately 1.5 million dollars in the country's political life, with 98 percent of the funds going to the Democratic Party. He also maintains an excellent relationship with former US President Bill Clinton.

Together with his partner Steve Rattner, Ronald Burkle financed the cable television network "Al Gore's cable Current TV network." Due to his high profile, Burkle attracts significant press attention, and scandals surrounding him do not go unnoticed. In May 2007, the investment fund "Yucaipa Companies" filed a lawsuit against Italian entrepreneur Raffaello Follieri and his company "Follieri Group," accusing his partner of intentionally misappropriating at least 1.3 million dollars out of the 55 million dollars invested by "Yucaipa Companies" in the joint venture "Follieri/Yucaipa Investment LLC."

Currently, Ronald Burkle's net worth is estimated at 2.3 billion dollars. According to the latest rankings by Forbes, he holds the 245th position among the world's billionaires.