Kenneth Gerard Langone Sr., commonly known as Ken Langone, is an American billionaire businessman born on September 16, 1935, in Roslyn Heights, New York, to a working-class Italian-American family. He was the second of two sons; his father was a plumber and his mother worked in a school cafeteria, and his parents were children of Italian immigrants with limited formal education. Langone earned a Bachelor of Science in economics from Bucknell University in 1957 after completing his degree in just 3.5 years, and he earned a law degree from New York University School of Law in 1960 while working full-time at Equitable Life Assurance Company. He began his career in the early 1960s at R.W. Pressprich & Co., a Wall Street financial services firm, where he developed new business and rose to president in 1969. Notably, in 1968, he persuaded Ross Perot to use Pressprich for the IPO of Electronic Data Systems. In 1974, he founded Invemed Associates, a venture capital and investment banking firm. Langone's most notable achievement came in 1978 when he organized the financing that enabled the founding of The Home Depot, co-founding the company with Arthur Blank and Bernard Marcus. He served as a director from its inception until 2004 and remains a significant shareholder, with the company being a cornerstone of his wealth. Beyond Home Depot, Langone has held influential board positions at companies like Yum! Brands and the New York Stock Exchange. He is a prominent Republican megadonor, contributing to candidates including George W. Bush, John McCain, and Donald Trump, while advocating for fiscal conservatism. Langone is also a major philanthropist, donating hundreds of millions to education, healthcare, and the arts, and served as chairman of New York University's board of trustees from 1999 to 2015. A devout Catholic, he received the Knight of St. Gregory award from Pope Benedict XVI in 2012 (also referenced as the Knight of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta honor). His net worth is estimated at around $7 billion, derived primarily from Home Depot stock and other investments. Langone has been married to his wife (identified as both Roma Langone and Joan Langone in sources) since the early 1960s, has three children, and resides in upscale areas of New York, including Sands Point. He has been vocal on issues like healthcare reform and opposition to what he calls 'entitlement society' policies, and has faced criticism for his outspoken conservative views but has no major legal controversies documented in public records. His eldest son, Kenneth G. Langone Jr., is a finance executive working in family business interests and serving in leadership roles within family-associated investment firms.