Bernard Marcus’s net worth was estimated by Forbes at $10.3 billion as of October 1, 2024. After Marcus died on November 4, 2024, the Associated Press reported Forbes’s estimate of $11 billion at the time of his death. These are dated estimates—not audited accounts or a final valuation of his estate.
Bernard Marcus’s net worth, by estimate date
| Estimate | Valuation date and context | Source |
|---|---|---|
| $10.3 billion | October 1, 2024; his profile in the 2024 Forbes 400 | Forbes |
| $11 billion | At the time of Marcus’s death in November 2024; Forbes estimate reported by the Associated Press | Associated Press |
The amounts are estimates tied to different dates and reporting contexts. The available sources do not explain the calculations in enough detail to reconcile the difference. Neither figure should be read as the value of Marcus’s final estate: no final estate accounting or posthumous asset allocation is established in these sources.
How did Bernard Marcus make his money?
Home Depot was the principal source of Marcus’s fortune. He and Arthur Blank founded the home-improvement retailer in 1978, with Ken Langone helping secure its financing. The first stores opened in Atlanta in 1979. Home Depot went public in 1981, and Marcus retired in 2002, according to the Associated Press.
Marcus’s wealth was therefore closely tied to the company he helped build. The Home Depot’s memorial and the Marcus Foundation biography describe his role as a co-founder and leader.
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Philanthropy and the net-worth estimates
Marcus and his wife, Billi, established the Marcus Foundation in 1989. The foundation says they have donated more than $2 billion; that is the organization’s cumulative giving claim, not a separately dated personal balance sheet. The Home Depot says Marcus gave $250 million to build the Georgia Aquarium and describes his support for medical research, children, Jewish causes, free enterprise, and community organizations.
These philanthropic totals provide context for Marcus’s giving, but they cannot be mechanically subtracted from Forbes’s net-worth estimates. The figures cover different things and do not establish the value, timing, or source of every gift relative to the assets included in an estimate.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Who was Bernard Marcus?
Bernard “Bernie” Marcus was born on May 12, 1929, and died on November 4, 2024, aged 95, according to the Marcus Foundation. Raised in Newark, he became one of Home Depot’s founders and later a prominent philanthropist. The company’s memorial recalls his generosity and his connection to its founding.
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