American billionaire Richard DeVos, the co-founder of Amway, owner of the Orlando Magic basketball team and father-in-law of US Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has died at the age of 92.
DeVos died at his Michigan home on Thursday after suffering complications due to an infection, a family spokesperson said.
DeVos founded Amway with Jay Van Andel in 1959 and served as the company president until 1993. The DeVos family bought the NBA’s Orlando Magic basketball team in 1991.
Amway developed into a multibillion dollar international company over five decades. Company chairman Steve Van Andel said DeVos was “the heart and soul” of Amway and that his vision “inspired our employees and independent business owners for more than 50 years.”
In a statement, Magic CEO Alex Martins said DeVos’s “boundless generosity, inspirational leadership and infectious enthusiasm will always be remembered”. DeVos was “the team’s No. 1 cheerleader and the best owner that a Magic fan could ever want for their team,” Martins said.
DeVos was also a major donor to the Republican Party and conservative causes and was appointed to the Presidential Commission on AIDS in 1987 by President Ronald Reagan. He also served for a period as finance chairman for the Republican National Committee.
He was also an author and philanthropist who donated to churches and ministries through the Richard and Helen DeVos Foundation.
DeVos is survived by his five children, two sisters and grandchildren.
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