Billionaire Bel-Air businessman and philanthropist John Anderson died Friday at UCLA Medical Center from complications of pneumonia. He was 93.
Anderson was founder of Century City holding company Topa Equities Ltd. He and his wife Marion were major contributors to his namesake UCLA Anderson School of Management and to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. He ranked No. 14 on this year’s Los Angeles Business Journal list of Wealthiest Angelenos, with an estimated net worth of $2.59 million.
Anderson had been in frail health in recent years, but continued come into the office nearly every day and liked to take long walks near the office and the UCLA campus. He recovered from a bout with pneumonia a few weeks ago, but he became ill again on Thursday afternoon while at work and was taken to the hospital, a longtime associate told the Business Journal.
A native of Minneapolis, Anderson got his first taste of entrepreneurship running a popcorn business outside his father’s barbershop before heading to UCLA on an ice hockey scholarship. He graduated from the Westwood campus in 1940, and enlisted in Navy during World War II. After the war he earned an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and later earned a law degree from Loyola University in Los Angeles. He served as a lecturer at the Anderson Graduate School of Management and as a professor at the Loyola University School of Law.
With James H. Kindel, Jr., he founded the law firm of Kindel & Anderson, which became one of the largest law firms in Los Angeles. In 1956, he launched Ace Beverage, which received exclusive rights to distribute Budweiser in Los Angeles area. The business became the cornerstone of Topa Equities, which has 33 subsidiaries in beverage distribution, automobile dealerships, insurance, financial services, real estate and manufacturing, and employing more than 2,300 people.
In 1987, the UCLA Graduate School of Management was renamed the John E. Anderson Graduate School of Management in honor of his $15 million gift and numerous contributions to the school and university. In April this year, the Andersons made another gift of $25 million to the Anderson School – largest single gift ever given to the school.
In May, the couple gave $50 million to help finish a new wing at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, the largest individual gift ever received by the medical facility. The new wing, which opened earlier this month, was named the Marion and John E. Anderson Pavilion.
Anderson is survived by his wife of 44 years, Marion; daughters Susan McKinley and Judy Munzig; sons John and William Anderson; 15 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
The family asks that any donations be made to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles or UCLA Anderson Graduate School of Management. Arrangements for a family memorial service are pending. The Anderson School of Management also is planning its own memorial event.
