William Sydney Fisher (born 1958) is an American hedge fund manager. He has been a director of Gap Inc. since 2009, and the founder and chief executive officer of Manzanita Capital Limited.[1] The son of Gap Inc. founders Donald Fisher and Doris F. Fisher, William Fisher has been involved with the company as a board member or employee for nearly 30 years.
As of January 2018, Fisher has a net worth of US$1.85 billion.[2]
Early life and education
Fisher was born to a Jewish family,[3] is the son of Doris Feigenbaum Fisher and Don Fisher, the co-founders of Gap, Inc. He has two brothers: Robert J. Fisher and John J. Fisher. Fisher attended Phillips Exeter Academy.[4][5] He is a 1979 graduate of Princeton University, where he received a bachelor's degree[4] and a 1984 graduate of the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, from which he earned a master's degree in Business Administration.[4]
Investment career
Fisher began his career at The Gap after earning his MBA,[4] starting first as the store director for the Banana Republic and then the general manager for Gap in Canada.[4] Fisher served as the president of the Gap's international division and is credited with expanding the company into Canada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Japan.[4] In 2001, he founded the London-based private equity firm Manzanita Capital and serves as its CEO. Manzanita concentrates its investments in branded luxury companies in Europe, consumer goods, and retail.[4] In 2009, he was appointed to the Gap's board of directors.[1]
Political views
In 2019, it was revealed that Fisher, together with his mother Doris F. Fisher, as well as brothers Robert J. Fisher and John J. Fisher, had donated nearly $9 million to a dark money group which opposed Barack Obama in the 2012 election.[6]
Personal life
Fisher is married to Sakurako Fisher,[4] and the couple has three children.[4] His wife, who graduated from Stanford with a B.A. in 1982,[4] was born in Japan to an American father and a Japanese mother[7] and serves as president of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra and chair of the Smithsonian National Board.[8]
Wealth and philanthropy
According to Forbes Magazine, he has a net worth of $1.85 billion USD.[2]
Fisher donates heavily to his alma mater Stanford and has a professorship there. In 2011, he donated $1 million to Stanford's Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies. He serves as vice chairman of the science museum Exploratorium in San Francisco.[4] Like many other members of the Fisher family, he supports pro-charter school candidates in a variety of races.
In September 2022, Fisher donated $980,000 to the "No on 30" California ballot campaign;[9] Proposition 30 was defeated but would have increased taxes on those earning more than $2 million per year.[10]
References
- ^ a b Gap, Inc. web site retrieved March 31, 2013
- ^ a b "William Fisher". Forbes. Retrieved 2018-01-29.
- ^ The Jewish News Weekly of Northern California: "Gap Founder Donald Fisher Leaves Stamp on Community" October 1, 2009
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Stanford University: William S. Fisher, MBA '84 retrieved March 31, 2013
- ^ San Francisco Gate: "A's NEW ERA / JOHN FISHER / Son of Gap founder is the money behind the deal" by Todd Wallack March 31, 2005
- ^ Tindera, Michela (October 26, 2019). "At Least 20 Billionaires Behind 'Dark Money' Group That Opposed Obama". Forbes. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
- ^ San Francisco Symphony Orchestra: "Inventing Community with SFS President Sako Fisher" February 8, 2013
- ^ San Francisco Business Times: "Sakurako Fisher assumes post at San Francisco Symphony" by Renée Frojo December 4, 2012
- ^ "California Secretary of State - CalAccess - Campaign Finance". cal-access.sos.ca.gov. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
- ^ "Proposition 30 - Provides Funding for Programs to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Increasing Tax on Personal Income over $2 Million". California Secretary of State.