David Gottesman
David Sanford "Sandy" Gottesman (born April 26, 1926) is an American businessman and billionaire who founded First Manhattan Co. (FMC). Early life and education. Gottesman was born to a Jewish family in New York City, the son of Esther (née Garfunkel) and Benjamin Gottesman. He has two siblings, Milton and Alice. He is a nephew of American pulp-paper merchant, financier, and philanthropist Samuel Gottesman. He received his undergraduate degree from Trinity College and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Career. Gottesman founded the investment advisory firm First Manhattan Co. in 1964. He began a friendship with Warren  Buffett in 1962. He was an early investor in Berkshire Hathaway and today owns 17,202 shares (class A), worth $8.1 billion in 2021. He joined the Berkshire Hathaway board of directors in 2003. Philanthropy. In 2008, Gottesman donated $25 million to the Yeshiva University Medical School. This gift was used to form the Ruth L. and David S. Gottesman Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, which operates as a stem cell research center. Personal life. Gottesman lives in Rye, New York with his wife, Ruth (née Levy), to whom he has been married for over sixty  years. Ruth has a bachelor's from Barnard College, and a master's degree in Developmental Education and an Ed.D. in Human Cognition and Learning in the area of Educational Psychology both from Teachers College, Columbia University. Together, they have three children and seven grandchildren. He is an avid swimmer. Gottesman is a trustee of the Mount Sinai Medical Center and is Vice Chairman and trustee of the American Museum of Natural History.