Sidney Kimmel Biography

Sidney J. Kimmel (born 1928) is founder of the Jones Apparel Group, philanthropist and film producer. Some of his many films include Death at a Funeral and The Kite Runner. He ranked number 655 in the Forbes list of the richest people alive in 2010.

Personal life

Kimmel, son of a cab driver, was born in 1928 to a Jewish family and raised in Philadelphia. He attended Temple University. He now lives in California with his wife Caroline Davis, the former wife of Leonard Tose. Kimmel is featured on Old Jews Telling Jokes.

Professional life

Kimmel founded Jones Apparel Group in 1970 while working at W. R. Grace and Company. Five years later, he purchased the company with a partner. Notable lines produced by Kimmel include: Jones New York, Evan-Picone, 9 West; licensing deals with Ralph Lauren. He stepped down as chief executive officer of Jones in 2002 and sold most of his shares in the publicly traded company, but remains chairman of the board of directors. He owns art, real estate, movie production outfit Sidney Kimmel Entertainment, and a small stake in the professional NBA basketball team Miami Heat.

Kimmel is an active philanthropist especially with his work with the cure cancer movement. The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins Hospital as well as the Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital carry his name.

Philanthropy

Throughout his philanthropic endeavours, Sidney Kimmel has both founded his own foundation, and donated towards others. His philanthropic focus has been towards healthcare, education, arts and culture. His goal has been to donate $1 billion in total throughout his lifetime.

In 1993, Kimmel founded the Sidney Kimmel Foundation. The foundation's Cancer Research division pledged to contribute $120 million to institutions serving healthcare, education, arts and culture. Later, in 2001, the Sidney Kimmel Foundation for Cancer Research donated $150 million to Johns Hopkins University. The donation became the largest single gift ever received by the University, and was directed toward the development of a residence for cancer patients undergoing extended treatment. The gift inspired the university to name the residence the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center. In total Kimmel has his name attached to four separate cancer-research centers in Philadelphia, San Diego and Baltimore.

As of April 2003, Kimmel and the Sidney Kimmel Foundation had donated an estimated $400 million.

Another cause that Kimmel has contributed towards, has been the center for the performing arts in Philadelphia, which is now named The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, and is home to the world-renowned Philadelphia Orchestra. Altogether Kimmel has donated $35 million to the Center.

Other contributions from Kimmel include a $5 million donation to The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia; a $20 million donation to Raymond and Ruth Perelman Jewish Day School in Philadelphia and $25 million for the establishment of a new prostate and urological cancer center at Memorial Sloan-Kettering in New York.

In 2003 Kimmel pledged $25 million to The National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia. The construction was said to have cost in total $100 million, and opened in 2006 on the museum's existing site facing Independence Mall.

Kimmel donated $25 million to Stand Up To Cancer.

Support for cold fusion research

Kimmel has given $5.5 million to the University of Missouri to create the Sidney Kimmel Institute for Nuclear Renaissance, SKINR, where researchers will "figure out why excess heat has been observed when hydrogen or deuterium interacts with materials such as palladium, nickel or platinum under extreme conditions.", Originally named "cold fusion," nowadays the name low-energy nuclear reaction (LENR) is also used.

Sidney Kimmel Entertainment

Founded in 2004, Sidney Kimmel Entertainment (SKE) is a Los Angeles-based production, finance and distribution company headed by Kimmel. Films produced include SKE and Screen Gems' 2010 remake Death at a Funeral, The Kite Runner (2007), United 93, Breach, Lars and the Real Girl, Adventureland, Death at a Funeral, Synecdoche, New York, and Gone (2012).

Filmography

• The Place Beyond the Pines (2013; producer)
• Stand Up Guys (2013; producer)
• Gone (2012; producer)
• Moneyball (2011; executive producer)
• One for the Money (2011; producer)
• Death at a Funeral (2010; producer)
• Adventureland (2009; producer)
• The Kite Runner (2007; executive producer)
• Lars and the Real Girl (2007; producer)
• Breach (2007; executive producer)
• Charlie Bartlett (2007; executive producer)
• Alpha Dog (2006; producer)
• Neverwas (2005; producer)
• The Emperor's Club (2002; executive producer)
• The Perfect You (2002; executive producer)
• Town & Country (2001; executive producer)
• Curtain Call (1999; executive producer)
• Mother (1996; executive producer)
• Nine 1/2 Weeks (1986; producer)
• The Clan of the Cave Bear (1986; co-executive producer)