Bernard G. Cantor

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Bernard Gerald Cantor was an American businessman, philanthropist, and art collector who co-founded Cantor Fitzgerald, a financial services firm. He is known for building Cantor Fitzgerald into a major Wall Street brokerage firm and for his extensive collection of Auguste Rodin sculptures.
== Background ==
Cantor was born on December 17, 1916, in New York City. He grew up in a working-class family in the Bronx during the Great Depression.
=== Career ===
Cantor began his career on Wall Street as a clerk and bond trader. In 1945, he partnered with John Fitzgerald to form Cantor Fitzgerald & Co., a bond brokerage firm.
Under Cantor's leadership, Cantor Fitzgerald grew to become one of the world's leading bond brokers. The firm pioneered the use of computer technology in bond trading, helping to revolutionize the industry. By the 1990s, Cantor Fitzgerald was handling about a quarter of the daily volume in U.S. government securities.
=== Art Collection and Philanthropy ===
Cantor was an avid art collector, particularly of works by Auguste Rodin. He amassed one of the world's largest private collections of Rodin sculptures and drawings. In 1978, he and his wife Iris established the Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Foundation to share their art collection with the public and support the visual arts.
The Cantors donated hundreds of Rodin works to museums around the world, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. They also funded the construction of the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Center for Visual Arts at Stanford University.
Cantor died on July 3, 1996, in Los Angeles at the age of 79.
===Howard Lutnick Conflict with Iris Cantor ===
Howard Lutnick's rise to power at Cantor Fitzgerald was marked by a contentious legal battle with Iris Cantor, the widow of the firm's founder, Bernie Cantor. In 1996, as Bernie Cantor's health declined, Lutnick attempted to have him declared incapacitated by a committee of partners, effectively seizing control of the firm. This move led to a bitter dispute over the control of Cantor Fitzgerald, one of the nation's largest government bond brokers at the time.
The conflict spilled into the courts, with Iris Cantor fighting to maintain her influence over the company her husband had built. In 1998, a court ruled that Cantor Fitzgerald must pay Iris Cantor more than $4.6 million to cover taxes and other expenses, a partial victory in the ongoing legal struggles.
The dispute was eventually settled, with Iris Cantor relinquishing control of the firm in exchange for a reported $120 million. However, the settlement left Iris Cantor with a diminished stake in the company and a lasting distrust of Lutnick. This conflict marked a significant turning point in Cantor Fitzgerald's history, solidifying Lutnick's control over the firm and setting the stage for its future direction under his leadership.
== Education ==
Cantor attended DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx. He did not attend college, instead beginning work on Wall Street as a young man.
== References ==	
Category:People
Category:Executives
Category:Philanthropists
Category:Art Collectors
Category:Cantor Fitzgerald