Rich Devos

From Hoopedia

Rich DeVos enters his 16th season as chairman of the ownership group of the Orlando Magic. The 80-year-old DeVos is a co-founder of Amway Corporation, now a part of the parent company Alticor.

Born March 4, 1926, in Grand Rapids, Mich., he is one of the greatest business success stories of all time. DeVos and former high school classmate, Jay Van Andel, embarked on a partnership that resulted in several business endeavors between 1945 and 1958. In 1959, they founded Amway.

In October 2000, Amway became a subsidiary under a new parent company called Alticor, along with two sister companies: Quixtar Inc., a web-based business in North America, and Access Business Group LLC, a business service provider. Alticor reported 2005 worldwide sales of $6.4 billion through 3.6 million individual business owners in 80 countries.

DeVos has been the recipient of numerous achievement awards, as well as 12 honorary doctorate degrees. He has written three books: BELIEVE!, Compassionate Capitalism, and most recently Hope From My Heart: Ten Lessons for Life.

Because of their dedication to supporting those organizations in which they believe, DeVos and his wife, Helen, created the Richard and Helen DeVos Foundation. The DeVoses are dedicated to making a difference in people’s lives and helping people help themselves.

Rich and Helen reside in southern Florida and have four children—Dick and his wife, Betsy; Dan and his wife, Pam; Cheri and her husband, Bob Vander Weide; and Doug and his wife, Maria. They have 16 grandchildren.