January 15, 2012 | Read Time: 1 minute
Age at death: 59
Major philanthropy role: Joseph E. Robert Jr., who died of a brain tumor, founded Fight for Children, a charity that has raised $100-million to help low-income children in Washington. He gave $25-million to Children’s National Medical Center for a surgical-care center named after him. And he was a key player in persuading the government of Abu Dhabi to give $150-million to the center for research on ways to reduce the pain endured by children undergoing surgery.
How he made his mark: After getting kicked out of college for fighting, Mr. Robert taught himself the real-estate business and formed his first property-management company in 1981, before he had reached 30. By focusing on investments involving troubled properties, Mr. Robert built J.E. Robert Companies into a multibillion-dollar global operation and formed a network of powerful friends in politics, entertainment, and business.
Other accomplishments: An annual fundraising event that Mr. Robert started in 1990 called Fight Night—a stag night and amateur boxing match featuring scantily clad women, bourbon, steak, and cigars—has raised a total of $36-million. The event has benefited some 150 charities that serve children in the Washington area.
How he will be remembered: “Many others have made a fortune,” wrote his friend Norman J. Ornstein, a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, “but few have used their money, and the web of contacts and friends gathered over a lifetime, as Joe did to try to make the world, and especially the District of Columbia, a better place.”
