Dutton, it contains a foreword by former President Gerald R. Ford. [9] In 2014 he published his memoirs, titled Simply Rich. "[22], In an interview given during the campaign, DeVos said: "It's all about jobs. [16] He sat on the legacy board of Christian Leaders Institute,[17][18] the nonprofit organization founded by Henry Reyenga Jr. after he was encouraged by DeVos and Ron Parr. Learn More. And whether Rich DeVos was selling vitamins or cleaning supplies or free-market conservatism, his sales approach remained more or less the same: He never sold a product so much as an idea of how life could or should be. At the time, conservative Christians hadnt yet become a potent political force. Many of those security personnel are former Secret Service agents who have worked at the department for many years. A sports enthusiast in and out, he owns the NBA basketball team Orlando Magic. He left that job a. [10], DeVos was the owner of the NBA team Orlando Magic, having bought the team in 1991 for $85 million. DeVos was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the son of Ethel Ruth (Dekker) and Simon Cornelius DeVos, who worked in the electrical business. In 2000, DeVos was the co-chairman of the "Kids First! Dan DeVos could not be reached for comment, and messages left with DP Fox, an RDV executive and Roland's publicity person received no replies. The show ran for three weeks, closing in December 2012[48] after receiving negative reviews. However, she testified under oath in the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing, in response to Senator Maggie Hassan's questions, that she had nothing to do with the contributions made by her mother's foundation to conservative advocacy groups including Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council. "DeVos said she was thinking about the couple's interest in education and her husband Dick's love of flying. After retiring from Alticor, DeVos returned to become president of The Windquest Group. This was the first time in U.S. history that a Cabinet nominee's confirmation was decided by the vice president's tiebreaking vote.[19][20][21]. He was an honorary trustee of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation. Also surviving are 16 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. By the 1970s, DeVos company had grown to a point that he could put real resources behind his beliefs. [27] She graduated from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in business economics in 1979. What began as two buddies selling an all-purpose cleaner door-to-door quickly grew into an army of independent salespeople hawking vitamins, soaps and other household goods to friends and familyand, controversially, earning money by signing others up as distributors too. DeVos has received honorary doctorates from Grove City College, Central Michigan University and Northwood University, as well as distinguished alumni recognition from Northwood University. They've got to go if we want to help manufacturing and bring jobs back to Michigan." In that fiscal year, Alticor reported sales of $4.5 billion, primarily through its more than 3.5 million part-time sales force and its complementary e-commerce channel. He along with his wife, created a foundation for philanthropic causes and they donated heavily to the US Republican partys conservative causes as well. In September 2010, the Spectrum Health Foundation presented DeVos with its Art of Giving Award at its annual celebration of philanthropy. [88][89], DeVos said that on the basis of her first few days in the job, she had concerns that some Education Department employees were sympathetic to the Obama administration. [159][160], The DeVoses provide an annual scholarship to students at Northwood University. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTaXg5BwtxA, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7q3JLIFRjT0. [98] In her first official appearance as Secretary on February 10, 2017, dozens of protesters showed up to prevent her appearance. Richard Marvin DeVos Sr. was an American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the direct selling product empire, Amway, along with his school-time buddy, Jay Van Andel. Click below to see everything we have to offer. As of 2016[update] approximately 16 percent of ArtPrize's $3.5million annual budget was provided by various foundations run by the DeVos family, with the rest provided by other foundations and local and national businesses. Loving father of Rick, Julia, Duke, and. Rich and Helen DeVos built a legacy of giving, and this prioritydriven by faith and compassionis reflected in the lives and mission of their family. [175], DeVos was chair of the American Federation for Children (AFC). But when, at age 88, Rich DeVos took to the last of his several memoirs to call his grandfather a huckster, he said it with love and admirationan honorable profession, not one of trickery or flimflam. He co-authored Believe! with Charles Paul Conn. He believed in having strong family roots and would make every effort to spend enough time with his children, grandchildren and eventually with his great grandchildren. In 1984, he became one of Amway's vice presidents, with overall responsibility for the company's operations in 18 countries. Richard M. Devos worked on several business ideas with Jay Van Andel after they returned to civilian life post the war. [118], In a January 2018 speech, Devos said that the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) found that "60 percent of its teachers reported having moderate to no influence over the content and skills taught in their own classrooms." This article is about Richard DeVos Sr. For his son Richard DeVos Jr., see, The Possible Dream, by Charles Paul Conn, page 6, President's Commission on the HIV Epidemic, Christian Reformed Church in North America, "DeVos gift to Grand Rapids Christian Schools relieves debt, puts schools on 'very stable financial ground', "Orlando Magic senior chairman Rich DeVos passes away at 92", "Magic, DeVos family plan to buy Orlando Solar Bears", "Nothing but the best for new arena: Look what your taxes helped buy", "National Constitution Center, Board of Trustees", "The Ultra-Rich, Ultra-Conservative DeVos Family", "Michigan Effort Shows G.O.P. His second book was Compassionate Capitalism that released in 1993, then in 2000 came Hope From My Heart: Ten Lessons For Life which is a book that depicts his feelings post his heart transplant surgery that he underwent in 1997, and in 2014, he published his autobiography Simply Rich. RDV Corporation, the family office set up by Richard Sr., handles the familys non-Amway or Magic activities from a discreet building in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. Member, FAA Management Advisory Council, September 2017present. "My family is the largest single contributor of soft money to the national Republican Party. In 2012, Forbes magazine listed him as the 60th wealthiest person in the United States, and the 205th richest in the world, with an estimated net worth of $5.1 billion. [151], When DeVos was appointed US Education Secretary, it was revealed that she was an elder at Mars Hill Bible Church. [68][69] DeVos drew widespread media attention during the confirmation hearings for suggesting that guns might have a place in some schools due to a threat from grizzly bears. . He served in the military in World War II in the United States Army Air Corps.[6]. [164], DeVos is known as "a fierce proponent of school vouchers" that would allow students to attend private schools with public funding. [78], On January 31, DeVos's nomination was approved by the committee on a 1211 party-line vote and was due to be voted on by the Senate. DeVos served as an Honorary Pallbearer at Gerald R. Ford's State Funeral. The Foundation supports strategic projects and initiatives that impact the community, empower individuals to reach their full potential, and catalyze change. You may opt-out by. There wasnt yet a major concerted effort to enlist religious conservatives into politics. January 31, 2023. Published by E.P. Richard is the son of Simon Cornelius DeVos and Ethel Ruth Dekker. DeVos cited Indiana (which has the U.S.'s largest school voucher program) as a potential model for a nationwide policy, but did not give specific proposals. The use of public money was controversial. DeVos is the co-founder of Amway and also owner of the Orlando Magic National Basketball Association franchise. Richard DeVos was the father of Dan (owner of the Grand Rapids Griffins hockey team), Richard Jr. ("Dick", husband of former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and candidate for governor of Michigan ), Cheri, and Doug . 24 on its 2015 list of America's top givers. Dick DeVos Dick was born on 21 October, 1955. ", DeVos defended the charter school system using graduation rates that were significantly higher than those used for state and federal accountability purposes. But the makings of the movement were therethe sexual revolution, the Supreme Courts Roe v. Wade ruling, the pornography wars, the white backlash to desegregation, the backlash to the womens lib movement, the rise of the silent majority.. The team is now worth nearly $1.2 billion net of debt. Among DeVos's supporters was Lee Iacocca, who had been actively campaigning for him. Their slice of the familys portfolio of commercial real estate, private equity investments, mansions and yachts makes up the rest of the education secretarys net worth. [184] In the same month, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon parodied the Education Department's typos on Twitter, featuring Jo Firestone as DeVos. The Times article noted that the Devos family had given over $1 million to the Michigan GOP in 2012 and at least $2 million to a successful effort to defeat a proposal for a pro-union constitutional amendment. Richard DeVos was one of the co-founders of multi-level marketing giant, Amway. [128], On May 10, 2017, DeVos gave a commencement speech at BethuneCookman University, a historically black college, and during her speech a majority of the students booed DeVos, with about half of them standing up and turning their backs to her. Elissa DeVos Lowery, Andrea DeVos Abraham, and Ryan DeVos - and 10 grandchildren. [123], DeVos has been a controversial figure throughout her tenure. [47], DeVos and her husband were producers for a Broadway run of the stage play Scandalous: The Life and Trials of Aimee Semple McPherson, in 2012, based on the life of the famous evangelist and featuring a book and lyrics written by Kathie Lee Gifford. Also Known As: Richard Marvin DeVos Sr. Died At Age: 92 Family: Spouse/Ex-: Helen Van Wesep (m. 1953) father: Simon Cornelius DeVos mother: Ethel Ruth DeVos children: Cheri, Dan, Dick, Doug Born Country: United States Billionaires CEOs Died on: September 6, 2018 place of death: Ada Township, Michigan, United States Notable Alumni: Calvin University DeVos announced that she would step down from the company's board but would retain her investment in the company, valued at $5million to $25million. Apart from this, she is known for being a social activist and supporting the Republican Party along with her husband. Doug was born in 1964 and is a businessman and President of Amway since 2002. This is the fifth in a series that explores the personal fortunes of President Trumps cabinet officials. He and his Amway cofounder, Jay Van Andel, opened the Institute for Free Enterprise, a pro-capitalism advocacy group that worked to get free-market lesson plans taught in schools nationwide, and founded Citizens Choice, a short-lived answer to Ralph Naders Common Cause group. [104], On July 6, 2017, Democratic attorneys-general in 18 states and Washington, D.C., led by Massachusetts attorney-general Maura Healey, filed a federal lawsuit against DeVos for suspending the implementation of rules that were meant to protect students attending for-profit colleges. now worth nearly $1.2 billion net of debt, they raked in money from at least 85 separate sources last year, which has been roughly estimated at $200 million. Ethics laws dont require public officials like DeVos to break down their exact stake in an investment or what they have given to family members, an especially big loophole for large, dynastic wealth like the DeVos fortune. Also the DeVos family has contributed much to Northwood University in Midland, Michigan. [51][52][53] The therapy consists of showing movies to patients and interrupting them when they become distracted, in an effort to retrain their brains. According to one source, "When Dick DeVos became vice president of Amway's foreign operation in 1986, sales outside of the U.S. accounted for about 5 percent of overall sales. His wealthand his willingness to spend itmade DeVos, and the rest of his family, impossible to ignore. Missing Crain's in print? Thus began the huckster life of Rich DeVos, a boundlessly charismatic man who was defined by his remarkable ability to sell things. They further expanded into Ukraine (2003), Russia (2005) and Vietnam (2008). [8], DeVos is married to former Amway CEO Dick DeVos. DeVos and his brother, Doug DeVos, are "credited with taking the company global, and setting industry standards as they moved into those markets."[7]. Over the next two decades, both the DeVos family and Amway would become among the rights biggest financial backers, pouring millions into Republican campaigns and conservative causes. Richard Marvin DeVos Jr. (born October 21, 1955) is an American businessman and author. She, her husband and their four adult children are worth an estimated $2 billionmostly in Amway stock. Furthermore, we expect the Republican Party to use the money to promote these policies and, yes, to win elections. In 1959after numerous ventures into entrepreneurshipthey started a new business together in the basements of their homes. [178], DeVos has been an advocate for the Detroit charter school system. [51] Democratic senators raised concerns about a potential conflict of interest and questioned whether she and her family members would "benefit financially from actions" she could take as the U.S. Secretary of Education. Get the best business coverage in Chicago, from breaking news to razor-sharp analysis, in print and online. By the late 1990s, the family was the largest single contributor of soft money to the Republican Party, Betsy DeVos wrote in a 1997 op-ed. He had also received endorsements from the Michigan Chamber of Commerce and the Michigan Farm Bureau.[26]. That is going to be a big job to weave aviation throughout the entire basic curriculum. [103], On April 11, 2017, DeVos undid several Obama administration policy memos issued by John King Jr. and Ted Mitchell which were designed to protect student loan borrowers. They now have a compound consisting of two houses, plus another house elsewhere in Windsor, where they spend several weeks a year. [138] Hours after her resignation, Senator Elizabeth Warren later called her the worst Secretary of Education on Twitter, saying she never done anything to help students, and saying she would rather quit than invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office. DeVos responded: "I believe states should continue to have flexibility in putting together programs "[101], CBS reporter Lesley Stahl questioned DeVos, in a March 2018 60 Minutes interview, about the documented failure of the DeVos programs to demonstrate a positive result, in Michigan, her home state: "Your argument that if you take funds away that the schools will get better is not working in Michigan where you had a huge impact and influence over the direction of the school system." In a section of River North where most of the homes are ornate neo-classical mansions, a new one nearing completion stands out for its hard-edged contemporary look. President Ronald Reagan made DeVos finance chair of the Republican National Committee. Scarlet Envy depicted DeVos as "silly" and "martini-swilling. [3], Since 1982, DeVos has participated in the Michigan Republican Party. [24], DeVos was a long-time close friend of Gerald and Betty Ford, and was an honorary pallbearer at Gerald Ford's state funeral. "[180] Also defending DeVos's record in Michigan, Jay P. Greene, professor of education policy at the University of Arkansas, argued that Harris's The New York Times article misled readers on the evidence and "falsely claimed that Detroit has failed to close failing charter schools", noting that Detroit has closed more charters than Louisiana, a state Harris cites as a model for charter school legislation. [62] The Michigan chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union and the Michigan Democratic Party opposed DeVos's nomination. [185], DeVos has been played by Kate McKinnon on Saturday Night Live multiple times, including satirizing DeVos's 60 Minutes interview in March 2018. The house, clad in a white-veined black stone, has neo-classical neighbors. Republicans scheduled Sessions's confirmation vote after DeVos's so that he would be able to cast his vote in support of DeVos. His grandfather let him pocket the profit. He was a heart-transplant survivor and authored several books that explain his work philosophy, life-journey and his memoirs. DeVos bought the property from his father in 2009. Dick and Betsy were early investors in home goods retailer At Home and own as much as $5 million worth of stock in Elon Musks privately held SpaceX. "[90], In April 2017, DeVos praised the president's nomination of Carlos G. Muiz as the department's general counsel. Education Department officials declined requests for information about the deployment of marshals or the current tasks of the Secretary's displaced security team normally assigned to her. The DeVos family is one of Michigan's wealthiest. DeVos was born March 4, 1926, in Grand Rapids, graduated from Grand Rapids Christian High School, attended Calvin College and served in the U.S. Army Air Corps from 1944-46. E-mail oureditor "Granholm went for the jugular talking about an investment he had in a nursing home," and "DeVos's lackluster response opened the door that led to his eventual loss." He made major donations to organizations like the Christian Freedom Foundation (which he chaired) and Third Century Publishers, which put out a guidebook instructing conservative Christians on how to win elections and help America become as it was when first foundeda Christian Republic. Then came the presidency of Gerald Ford, Grand Rapids longtime representative in Congress and a personal friend of DeVos. Bill Ballenger, editor of the newsletter Inside Michigan Politics and a former Republican state senator, called DeVos "a good behind-the-scenes organizer and a good fund raiser" as well as "a true believer in core Republican issues that leave nobody in doubt on where she stands". Douglas N. Harris, professor of economics at Tulane University, wrote in a 2016 The New York Times op-ed that DeVos was partly responsible for "what even charter advocates acknowledge is the biggest school reform disaster in the country". [139], DeVos was listed for many years on IRS form Form 990s as the foundation's vice president (hitherto called the Edgar and Elsa Prince Foundation). He and his high school friend Jay Van Andel (d. 2004) started Amway (short for "American Way") in 1959, selling. [14], DeVos asked Orange County, Florida, to help pay for the Orlando Magic's new arena using county funds and Dema Stobell's Corporation money. . [2], DeVos was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the son of Ethel Ruth (Dekker) and Simon Cornelius DeVos, Dutch Americans[3] who worked in the electrical business. To that effect, they created Amway (short for American Way Association) in April 1959 to showcase their product portfolio. Elisabeth Dee DeVos (/dvs/ d-VOSS; ne Prince; born January 8, 1958) is an American politician, philanthropist, and former government official who served as the 11th United States secretary of education from 2017 to 2021. While popular with the American public[44] as a way to prevent (perceived) unfair domination by the wealthy in politics, DeVos and many other conservatives argue it is an infringement on free speech. Our state does not have a climate for job creation. Is there any situation? [4][5] In an interview that year, she also said that "changing the way we approach the system of education in the country really may have greater Kingdom gain in the long run". [1] They ran the business together, expanding it over the decades into an international distributor of a wide variety of products. [59], Former presidential candidates Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney respectively called DeVos an "outstanding pick" and a "smart choice". He attended Calvin College and upon graduating, served in the US Army Air Corps during the Second World War. Family spokesman Nick Wasmiller says DeVos died at his Ada, Michigan, home due to complications from an infection. Members were four Cabinet members, including herself. "We want to help develop human capital and leverage that capital to the greatest extent possible", she said, describing Kaiser's "practice and approach" as "practical, realistic and creative". Suite 3200 [6] DeVos is a graduate of the Forest Hills public school system. They worked on an airplane charter business, a sailing venture and even tried to run a hamburger stand, before they were introduced to Nutrilite. DeVos retired as president of Alticor in August 2002. Click here to get the full experience on your screen. He is married to Betsy DeVos and they have four children together, Ryan, Richard, Andrea and Elisabeth. [1][2][3] He congratulated the re-elected Granholm via phone after the results were in. DeVos left his positions as president and CEO of the Orlando Magic in January 1993 to rejoin Amway as its president, succeeding his father, Amway co-founder Rich DeVos. Regarding the withdrawal of the department's team, former Education Secretary Arne Duncan said, "That's a waste of taxpayer money. They continued to run the dealership and by 1958, the duo had managed to build a network of more than five thousand distributors. DeVos is survived by his four adult children: Suzanne "Cheri" DeVos, Richard "Dick," Daniel G. and Douglas L. DeVos. In 2006, DeVos ran for Governor of Michigan, but lost to the then-incumbent Democrat Jennifer Granholm. The son of Amway co-founder Richard DeVos, he served as CEO of the multi-level marketing company from 1993 to 2002. Jobs are the number one issue in Michigan right now. Richard DeVos was listed by Forbes in 2016 as having a net worth of $5.1billion, making him America's 88th wealthiest individual. An unrelenting optimist, DeVos is convinced that people can solve most of their problems by taking personal responsibility." Yes!" [113][101] However, some survivors of sexual assault and harassment and organizations which advocate on their behalf oppose the changes and say they would make schools more dangerous. He also led the Council for National Policy, a powerful and secretive organization meant to bolster the political influence of conservative Christians. The key to untangling DeVos empire appears to lie in Securities and Exchange Commission filings from the late 1990s and early 2000s, when Amways Asia-Pacific business operated through a publicly traded subsidiary. Given Amways profitability and her own likely inheritance, thats a reasonable, and perhaps conservative, estimateeven after factoring in the DeVos familys exorbitant political spending (which has been roughly estimated at $200 million) and generous charitable giving (more than $1.6 billion, according to the family spokesperson). [12], DeVos also formerly owned the Orlando Solar Bears, Grand Rapids Griffins, and the Kansas City Blades, three International Hockey League franchises before that league folded;[13] the Solar Bears and Blades were closed as a result of the league folding, while the Griffins moved to the American Hockey League, and are now under the ownership of Dan DeVos, one of Richard's sons. 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