Issam Fares is a Lebanese-American billionaire businessman, diplomat, and philanthropist born in 1937 in the village of Ehden in northern Lebanon. He emigrated to the United States in the 1960s, where he established the Wedge Group, a diversified conglomerate with holdings in energy, construction, manufacturing, and publishing. He returned to Lebanon in the 1990s amid post-civil war reconstruction, entering politics as a prominent supporter of Prime Minister Rafic Hariri and serving as Deputy Prime Minister from 2000 to 2005, focusing on economic development and investment. Fares has endowed major academic institutions, including the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut (established 2006) and the Fares Center for Eastern Mediterranean Studies at Tufts University's Fletcher School (2007). His philanthropy extends to cultural and religious causes, particularly within the Maronite Christian community, and he has been involved in Lebanese reconciliation efforts. Residing primarily in the United States, Fares maintains significant influence in Lebanese business and political networks. He founded the Fares Foundation.