Lester Crown

Lester Crown

"Financier father, Henry Crown (d. 1990), created Material Service with 2 brothers in 1919 after being fired from $4-per-week job. Built into multimillion-dollar business; merged with General Dynamics 1959. Today Lester retains big stake of General Dynamics; stock in Hilton Hotels, Alltel. Also big stake in Maytag, appliance outfit purchased by Whirlpool for $1.7 billion in August. Activist spends free time solving global problems: chairs Chicago Foreign Relations Council, sits on board of Aspen Institute. Competitive edge kept sharp with stakes in baseball's New York Yankees, basketball's Chicago Bulls." 

On the Board of Overseers of the Aspen Institute / Aspen Strategy Group and is a member of the Aspen Institute / Middle East Strategy Group. Lester was a partner with Stephen Philip Cohen (Middle East expert) and Robert Lifton in the New Middle East LLC. Lester was also Co-Chair of the Businessman for Middle East Peace and Development created by Steve Cohen.

He has been President of Henry Crown & Co. since 1969. He is a former director of Continental Illinois bank, Trans World Airlines, and Esmark Corporation.


 * Chair, Chicago Council on Global Affairs
 * Co-Chair, U.S.-Palestinian Partnership
 * International Board, U.S./Middle East Project
 * Advisory Board, Children's Scholarship Fund
 * US Director, Jerusalem Foundation
 * Former Commissioner, Commission on Private Philanthropy and Public Needs
 * Board of Overseers, Henry Crown Fellowship Program

His wife is Renee Schine Crown and his daughters are Janet Crown and Susan Crown.