# Lester Crown **Lester Crown** (b. 1925) is the son of [[Henry Crown]], the patriarch of the [[Crown Family]] dynasty, and the figure who transformed his father's industrial conglomerate into a diversified family office spanning defense, hospitality, real estate, and sports. Now 100 years old, Lester served as president and then chairman of [[Henry Crown and Company]] for nearly five decades and is one of the most prominent Democratic donors among America's billionaire families. ## Background - Born June 7, 1925, in Chicago; raised in Evanston, Illinois - B.S. in chemical engineering, Northwestern University (1946) - M.B.A., Harvard University (1949) - President of Henry Crown and Company (1969–2002); Chairman (2002–2018) - President and chairman of [[General Dynamics]] - Seven children, including [[James Crown]] (d. 2023), [[A. Steven Crown]], [[Susan Crown]], Patricia, Daniel, Sara, and Janet - Perennial Forbes 400 member since 1982 ## Holdings and investments The Crown family portfolio under Lester's stewardship included major stakes in [[General Dynamics]], Maytag, Hilton Hotels, Alltel, [[Aspen Skiing Company]], Rockefeller Center, and the Chicago Bulls. ## Political alignment Lester is a committed Democratic donor and prominent supporter of [[Barack Obama]], publicly endorsing him in 2008 and citing Obama's "deep commitment to Israel and to a strong U.S.-Israel relationship." Crown family entities donated $250,001–$500,000 to the Obama Foundation. His pro-Israel advocacy is a defining thread of his political engagement. ## Why he matters for the KB Lester is the Gen-2 bridge of the [[Crown Family]] dynasty — the person who took Henry Crown's industrial fortune and professionalized it into a modern family office. His Democratic alignment and pro-Israel philanthropy distinguish the Crowns from the predominantly Republican dynasties mapped elsewhere in the KB.