Alfred E. Mann — an entrepreneur, inventor and philanthropist died at 90 on Thursday.
He founded 17 companies, including those responsible for an artificial retina and the first rechargeable pacemaker, according to the Los Angeles Times. Forbes estimated his fortune at $2.4 billion in 2007.
MannKind Corp., one of Mann's companies, announced his death. He was the company's board chairman from 2001 until earlier this month, the Associated Press reported. The Times reported Mann was also until recently on the board of Second Sight Medical Products Inc., another one of his companies.
Mann's business endeavors included ventures into the aerospace, pharmaceuticals, electronic circuitry and biomedical research industries, the Associated Press reported.
He started out in aerospace, where his firms developed solar cells, semiconductors and other technologies for America's military and space programs. He later earned hundreds of millions of dollars by producing pacemakers for heart patients and insulin pumps to help treat diabetics.
Mann was a member of the University of Southern California Board of Trustees since 1998, according to the university, and donated more than $174 million to the university.
He was born to a Polish mother and English father, according to USC, and served in the Army Air Corps during World War II. He didn't see combat, the Times reported.
Mann is survived by his wife, Claude, and seven children, according to USC. He graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with bachelor's and master's degrees, USC said, and was awarded honorary doctorate degrees from four universities.
He founded 17 companies, including those responsible for an artificial retina and the first rechargeable pacemaker, according to the Los Angeles Times. Forbes estimated his fortune at $2.4 billion in 2007.
MannKind Corp., one of Mann's companies, announced his death. He was the company's board chairman from 2001 until earlier this month, the Associated Press reported. The Times reported Mann was also until recently on the board of Second Sight Medical Products Inc., another one of his companies.
Mann's business endeavors included ventures into the aerospace, pharmaceuticals, electronic circuitry and biomedical research industries, the Associated Press reported.
He started out in aerospace, where his firms developed solar cells, semiconductors and other technologies for America's military and space programs. He later earned hundreds of millions of dollars by producing pacemakers for heart patients and insulin pumps to help treat diabetics.
Mann was a member of the University of Southern California Board of Trustees since 1998, according to the university, and donated more than $174 million to the university.
He was born to a Polish mother and English father, according to USC, and served in the Army Air Corps during World War II. He didn't see combat, the Times reported.
Mann is survived by his wife, Claude, and seven children, according to USC. He graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with bachelor's and master's degrees, USC said, and was awarded honorary doctorate degrees from four universities.
