Bernard Marcus, known as Bernie Marcus, was an American billionaire businessman, philanthropist, political donor, and co-founder of The Home Depot alongside Arthur Blank and Ken Langone. He served as the company's first CEO and former chairman, playing a pivotal role in building it into the world's largest home improvement retailer. Born on May 12, 1929, in Newark, New Jersey, to Russian immigrant parents who were Ashkenazi Jews, Marcus was the youngest of four children and grew up in modest circumstances in a tenement. His father worked as a cabinetmaker. Aspiring to become a doctor, he graduated from South Side High School in 1947 and was accepted to Harvard Medical School but could not afford the tuition. Instead, he enrolled at Rutgers University in Newark, studying pre-medicine and pharmacology for two years without completing a degree. He later became a licensed pharmacist and transitioned into retail pharmacy and the hardware sector, gaining experience at companies like Handy Dan Hardware before being fired in 1978, which prompted him to start his own business.

In 1978, alongside Arthur Blank, Marcus co-founded The Home Depot in Atlanta, Georgia, revolutionizing the home improvement industry with its warehouse-style stores offering low prices and knowledgeable staff. Under his leadership as CEO until 1997 and chairman until 2002, the company grew exponentially, going public in 1981 and expanding nationwide. Marcus retired in 2002 with a significant stake in the company, contributing to his net worth, estimated by Forbes in November 2024 at $10.3 billion.

A prominent conservative philanthropist and prolific billionaire donor to conservative and pro-Israel causes, Marcus was a major Republican donor and key supporter of conservative and pro-Israel organizations. He focused much of his giving on Jewish causes and pro-Israel initiatives, as well as Republican political campaigns, through the Marcus Foundation, which he established with his wife Billie Marcus and which is based in Atlanta. He was a major donor to organizations like Friends of the Israel Defense Forces and the Republican Jewish Coalition, and supported Donald Trump's presidential campaigns. His philanthropy also extended to education, healthcare, veterans' causes, and medical research through initiatives like the Marcus Autism Center.

Throughout his life, Marcus was known for his bold business strategies and unapologetic political views, often criticizing liberal policies and advocating for free-market principles. His early experiences with poverty and immigration shaped his Horatio Alger-like story of rising from humble beginnings to immense wealth, which he credited to American opportunity, risk-taking, and hard work. Marcus passed away on November 4, 2024, at age 95, leaving a legacy of entrepreneurial success, conservative activism, and targeted charitable impact.