Carl Icahn

$4.28 B

Ranked #966 in World

About Carl Icahn

Carl Icahn is an American businessman, investor, and philanthropist who founded and controls Icahn Enterprises, a diversified conglomerate holding company based in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida. He is widely regarded as one of the most successful hedge fund managers of all time and is known for his investment strategy of taking large stakes in companies and pressuring management to make changes that benefit shareholders. Icahn gained notoriety as a "corporate raider" in the 1980s after profiting from the hostile takeover and asset stripping of Trans World Airlines. He no longer manages money for outside clients but investors can invest in Icahn Enterprises. Born in Brooklyn, Icahn began his career as a stockbroker and went on to acquire numerous companies and investments throughout his career.

Born

February 16, 1936 in New York City, U.S.

Age

90 years

Source Of Wealth

Investments

Industries

Finance & Investments

Citizenship

United States

Residence

Indian Creek, Florida

Education

Drop Out, New York University; Bachelor of Arts/Science, Princeton University

Spouse

Liba Trejbal (Married: 1979; Divorced: 1999), Gail Golden (Married: 1999)

Children

2, including Brett Icahn

Carl Icahn was born on February 16, 1936, in Brooklyn, New York, to an Ashkenazi Jewish family. He was raised in Far Rockaway, Queens, New York City. Icahn graduated from Princeton University with an A.B. in philosophy in 1957. He then entered New York University School of Medicine but dropped out after two years to join the military reserve force.

Carl Icahn: Family

Carl Icahn met Liba Trejbal, a 28-year-old ballerina from the former Czechoslovakia, in the summer of 1978. They married in March 1979 and had two children together, Brett Icahn and Michelle Celia Icahn Nevin. However, their marriage ended in divorce in July 1999. Icahn later married his longtime assistant and former broker, Gail Golden, in 1999. She has two children from a previous marriage.

Carl Icahn: Career Highlights

Carl Icahn began his career as a stockbroker for Dreyfus Corporation in 1961. He then moved to Tessel, Patrick & Co. in 1963 and later to Gruntal & Co. In 1968, he bought a seat on the New York Stock Exchange and formed Icahn & Co., focusing on risk arbitrage and options trading.

Icahn gained prominence in the 1980s as a "corporate raider" after profiting from the hostile takeover and asset stripping of Trans World Airlines (TWA). He acquired a controlling stake in TWA in 1985 and systematically sold its assets to repay debt, becoming known for his aggressive tactics.

Throughout his career, Icahn has been involved in numerous high-profile corporate transactions and investments. He has taken stakes in companies such as U.S. Steel, Texaco, Pan Am, RJR Nabisco, Marvel Comics, Take-Two Interactive, Telik, WCI Communities, Lear Corporation, Motricity, BEA Systems, Biogen, and many others.

Carl Icahn: Companies

Carl Icahn is the founder and controlling shareholder of Icahn Enterprises, a publicly traded diversified conglomerate holding company based in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida. Icahn Enterprises has investments in various industries, including energy, automotive, gaming, real estate, and home fashion.

Icahn has also been involved in the founding and management of several other companies, including Foxfield Thoroughbreds, a horse breeding operation, and the Children's Rescue Fund, a foundation that supports homeless families.

Carl Icahn: Major Achievements

Carl Icahn is widely regarded as one of the most successful hedge fund managers of all time and one of the greatest investors on Wall Street.

He is known for his aggressive investment strategies and his ability to identify undervalued companies with potential for growth.

Icahn has achieved significant financial success through his investments and corporate transactions. His net worth is estimated to be between $8.1 billion and $24 billion, making him one of the wealthiest individuals in the world.

Carl Icahn: Awards & Achievements

Carl Icahn has received numerous awards and honors throughout his career, including the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement, the Starlight Foundation Founders Award, the Guardian Angel Man of the Year Award, and the 100 Women in Hedge Funds Effecting Change Award.

Icahn was also honored by the Center for Educational Innovation – Public Education Association for his work with charter schools and by Mount Sinai Hospital for his philanthropic contributions.

Carl Icahn: Personal Life & Legacy

Carl Icahn is known for his outspoken personality and his aggressive investment style. He has been involved in several controversies and legal battles over the years, but he has also made significant contributions to philanthropy and social causes.

Icahn is an active philanthropist and has supported various charitable organizations, including the Children's Rescue Fund, Mount Sinai Hospital, and Princeton University. He has also been involved in efforts to improve education and animal welfare.

Carl Icahn: Trivia

Carl Icahn is a horse racing enthusiast and has owned several thoroughbred horses through his Foxfield Thoroughbreds operation. His horses have won several prestigious races, including the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.

Icahn is also an art collector and has a collection of contemporary art. He has loaned some of his artworks to museums and galleries for public display.

Wealth History

Timeline

1957

Graduated from Princeton University with an A.B. in philosophy.

1961

Began career as a stockbroker for Dreyfus Corporation.

1963

Became an options manager for Tessel, Patrick & Co.

1968

Formed Icahn & Co., focusing on risk arbitrage and options trading.

1978

Took a controlling stake in Tappan, forced sale of the company to Electrolux, and made a $2.7 million profit.

1979

Acquired Bayswater Realty & Capital Corporation.

1983

Acquired ACF Industries, sold shares to Phillips Petroleum in 1985, and made a $50 million profit.

1985

Acquired 50% of Trans World Airlines, completely acquired the company in a leveraged buyout in 1988.

1986

Launched an unsuccessful $8 billion hostile takeover for 89% of U.S. Steel.

1988

Sold his stake in the company for $1 billion in 1991, making a $200 million profit.

1989

Sold his stake in Texaco for $2 billion in June, making a profit of $700 million.

1990

Offered to acquire Pan Am for $375 million.

1994

Took a 6.6% interest in Western Company of North America as it was being acquired by BJ Services.

1997

Took control of Marvel Comics in June in a rivalry with Ronald Perelman.

1998

Bid for Pan Am again in March, offering $43 million.

1998

Led an investor group that acquired a 5% stake in RJR Nabisco in December and pressured the company's management to separate its tobacco and food units.

2001

Lent Genesisintermedia $100 million and received options to purchase 5.5 million shares of the company at an average price of $5.09.

2004

Began raising $3 billion to form Icahn Partners, a hedge fund.

2004

Threatened a proxy fight and urged shareholders to vote against Mylan's $4 billion stock deal to acquire King Pharmaceuticals.

2005

XO Communications announced its intention to sell the wired part of its business for $700 million to Icahn.

2006

Bought stock in Take-Two Interactive, a video game publisher, and increased his holdings to 11.3% in 2009, becoming the company's second-largest shareholder.

2007

Purchased a 9.2% stake in Telik, a biotech company engaged in cancer research.

2007

Acquired 6.1 million shares of WCI Communities, later acquired by Lennar.

2007

Lear Corporation's board of directors accepted a $2.3 billion takeover offer from Icahn.

2007

Invested $50 million in Motricity, a North Carolina-based provider of mobile content delivery technology.

2007

Increased his stake in BEA Systems to 13.22% a few months before Oracle Corporation announced its acquisition of BEA Systems, which Icahn supported.

2007

Gradually increased his stake in Biogen beginning in 2007.

2007

Sold his casino interests in Nevada, including the Stratosphere Las Vegas, Arizona Charlie's Boulder, Arizona Charlie's Decatur, and Aquarius Casino Resort, for $1.3 billion.

2008

Sued Motorola as part of his effort to gain four seats on Motorola's board and force a sale of its mobile business.

2008

Purchased a large block of shares in Yahoo! and threatened to start a proxy fight to remove Yahoo's board of directors in response to their rejection of a takeover bid by Microsoft.

2008

Forced an agreement to expand Yahoo's board to eleven members, including Icahn and two others of his choice instead.

2008

Launched a blog, The Icahn Report.

2008

Involved in the rejected attempted purchase of Imclone by Bristol-Myers Squibb and the eventual sale of Imclone to Eli Lilly and Company for $6.5 billion in cash.

2008

Filed suit against Realogy over a proposed debt swap.

2009

Engaged in a proxy battle for Amylin.

2009

Offered to buy the shares of XO he did not already own for $0.55 each.

2009

Resigned from the board of directors at Yahoo! and reduced his equity stake from a one-time high of 75 million shares to 12 million shares by the following February.

2010

Acquired the Fontainebleau Las Vegas for about $150 million through a subsidiary of his Icahn Enterprises LP.

2010

One of a group of lenders who purchased Tropicana Casino & Resort Atlantic City, bringing the company out of bankruptcy for $200 million.

2010

Held a 6.9% stake in Mentor Graphics, increasing to 14% in July.

2011

Offered to buy Clorox for $10.2 billion and accumulated a 9.08% stake in the company by February.

2012

Reported a 10% stake in Netflix.

2012

Tried to gain control of the board of directors of Oshkosh Corporation.

2013

Accumulated a 9.2% stake in Nuance Communications by April.

2013

Sued computer giant Dell and its board in an attempt to derail a $24.4 billion buyout bid by the CEO, Michael Dell, in favor of his own rumored forthcoming bid.

2013

Acquired around 61 million shares in Talisman Energy, leading to a surge in the share price.

2013

Sold about 50% of his shares in Netflix for a profit in excess of $800 million in less than one year.

2013

Acquired a 12.5% interest in Hologic, a medical device and diagnostics manufacturer.

2014

Invested another half billion dollars in Apple Inc.

2014

Pushed eBay to complete the corporate spin-off of PayPal.

2014

Invested in Talisman Energy.

2015

Made a $100 million investment in Lyft.

2015

Swapped his stake in eBay for shares in PayPal.

2015

Disclosed a 7.13% stake in Xerox.

2015

Offered to acquire Pep Boys.

2016

Disclosed a 4.66% stake in Gannett Company and also held shares in Cheniere Energy and Freeport-McMoRan, both of which declined in value.

2016

Sold his Apple shares, citing concerns about Apple's relationship with China.

2016

Increased his stake in Herbalife Nutrition to 21%.

2016

Closed the Trump Taj Mahal Casino in Atlantic City, citing a $350 million loss over several years and failure to reach a deal with striking union workers.

2016

Increased his holdings in the car rental company The Hertz Corporation, after the company's stock price had declined significantly.

2017

Acquired a 9.7% stake in Conduent, sold out of Allergan and Nuance Communications, and increased his stakes in Navistar International and Herbalife Nutrition.

2020

Sold his entire 39% stake, or 55.3 million shares, of Hertz Global for 72 cents a share, losing almost $2 billion on the investment.

2022

Nominated two people for election to McDonald's board of directors in what may be the first step toward a proxy fight.

2022

Only 1% of McDonald's shareholders voted in favor of nominees put forward by Icahn, scoring a victory against his demands for the improvement of conditions in which pigs are raised.

2023

Short seller Hindenburg Research released an analysis of Icahn's public company Icahn Enterprises that claims the company is over-valued due to paying large dividends using investments from new investors.

Carl Icahn : FAQs

What is Carl Icahn's current net worth?

Carl Icahn's current net worth is $4.28 billion.

What is Carl Icahn's current global rank among billionaires?

Carl Icahn holds the 966th position globally among billionaires.

What is Carl Icahn's current ranking within the United States?

Carl Icahn holds the 364th position in United States.

What was the change in Carl Icahn's net worth compared to the previous year?

Carl Icahn's net worth increased by 185.54 million dollars compared to the previous year 2025, when his net worth was 4.09 billion dollars.

What are Carl Icahn's main sources of wealth?

Carl Icahn's main source of income comes from Investments.

In which industry does Carl Icahn primarily operate?

Carl Icahn is primarily involved in the Finance & Investments industry.

What is Carl Icahn educational background?

Carl Icahn is a dropout from New York University and a Bachelor of Arts/Science from Princeton University.

How old is Carl Icahn?

Carl Icahn is 90 years old.

How many children does Carl Icahn have?

Carl Icahn has 2 children.

Who is Carl Icahn?

Carl Icahn is an American businessman, investor, and philanthropist.

What is Carl Icahn's business model?

Carl Icahn takes large stakes in companies he believes will appreciate from changes to corporate policy, then pressures management to make changes that benefit shareholders.

What are some notable investments and acquisitions made by Carl Icahn?

Some notable investments and acquisitions made by Carl Icahn include Trans World Airlines, Texaco, Pan Am, Marvel Comics, Blockbuster Video, Time Warner, and Herbalife Nutrition.

What are some of Carl Icahn's philanthropic contributions?

Carl Icahn has made substantial contributions to institutions such as Princeton University, Mount Sinai Hospital, and the Children's Rescue Fund. He is also a trustee of Mount Sinai Hospital and has joined the Giving Pledge, pledging to give away more than half his fortune.