Leslie Gonda (August 20, 1919 – March 16, 2018) was a Hungarian-born American businessman, philanthropist, and

Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; a ...

survivor. He was the co-founder (with his son Louis Gonda) of

International Lease Finance Corporation The International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC) was an aircraft lessor headquartered in the Constellation Place in Century City, Los Angeles, California, US. It was the world's largest aircraft lessor by value, though ILFC's rival, General El ...

Early life

Gonda was born László Goldschmied to a Jewish family in the town of

Mezőtúr Mezőtúr is a town in Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok county in Hungary, located southeast from Budapest and 88 miles away by rail. It possesses important potteries. Large herds of cattle are reared on the communal lands, which are productive also of whea ...

, Hungary, on August 20, 1919. He changed his name to escape the Nazis during World War II.Los Angeles Times: "Gondas have less wealth to share - Hospitals, theaters and museums have long enjoyed their generosity. But as AIG shares fell, the father and son's fortunes shriveled" by W.J. Hennigan
November 08, 2009 He earned a degree from the University of Magyarovar.

Career

In 1945, Gonda moved to Venezuela, beginning a local wares business which expanded into real estate and construction. Over time, he expanded his interests, beginning local businesses and branching into hotels and the aircraft industry. In 1963, he moved to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and started

(ILFC) with his son Louis as well as his friend

Steven Udvar-Hazy Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; ...

. ILFC later became the second largest

airliner An airliner is a type of aircraft for transporting passengers and air cargo. Such aircraft are most often operated by airlines. Although the definition of an airliner can vary from country to country, an airliner is typically defined as an ...

leasing company in the world and a pioneer of

aircraft leasing Aircraft leases are leases used by airlines and other aircraft operators. Airlines lease aircraft from other airlines or leasing companies for two main reasons: to operate aircraft without the financial burden of buying them, and to provide tempora ...

. In 1983, they took ILFC public and in 1990, they sold it to

American International Group American International Group, Inc. (AIG) is an American multinational finance and insurance corporation with operations in more than 80 countries and jurisdictions. , AIG companies employed 49,600 people.https://www.aig.com/content/dam/aig/amer ...

for AIG stock. Gonda was given a seat on AIG's Board of Directors. In 1995, Gonda retired from AIG, and continued his activities in commercial real estate and venture capital investments via his Lexington Commercial Holdings. Gonda's wealth plummeted after the collapse of AIG during the 2009 economic crisis.

Philanthropy

Gonda was a benefactor of many medical institutions, museums, and charities. He donated the learning center at the Holocaust Museum in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

He made large donations to the

Mayo Clinic The Mayo Clinic () is a nonprofit American academic medical center focused on integrated health care, education, and research. It employs over 4,500 physicians and scientists, along with another 58,400 administrative and allied health staff, ...

Rochester, Minnesota Rochester is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Olmsted County. Located on rolling bluffs on the Zumbro River's south fork in Southeast Minnesota, the city is the home and birthplace of the renowned Mayo Clinic. Acco ...

, where the

Gonda building The Gonda Building is a medical building owned by the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and designed by Ellerbe Becket Architects and Engineers. It rises 305 feet (93 m) in 21 floors, and was completed in 2001. At the time it was the tallest ...

is named after him. He made large donations to the

UCLA Medical Center Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center (also commonly referred to as ''UCLA Medical Center'', "RRMC" or "Ronald Reagan") is a hospital located on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles, in Westwood, Los Angeles, California, United ...

where the Gonda (Goldschmied) Neuroscience and Genetics Research Center and the Gonda Diabetes Center are also named after him. He donated to the City of Hope Cancer Center and is known for his generosity in giving gold coins to his employees' children. In 1999, he gave $60 million to the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

. He made large donations to

Bar-Ilan University Bar-Ilan University (BIU, he, אוניברסיטת בר-אילן, ''Universitat Bar-Ilan'') is a public research university in the Tel Aviv District city of Ramat Gan, Israel. Established in 1955, Bar Ilan is Israel's second-largest academic i ...

in Israel, for building "The Leslie and Susan Gonda (Goldschmied) Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center" and the "Leslie and Susan Gonda (Goldschmied) Nanotechnology Triplex".

Personal life

He was married to Susan Gonda, also a Holocaust survivor, until her death in 2009. They had three children, and he lived in

Beverly Hills Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Bev ...

, California. Their son Louis Gonda is married to Broadway producer Kelly Gonda, daughter of actress

Honey Sanders Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of plants (primar ...

.Variety: "Honey Sanders - Thesp, talent agent"
November 10, 2003 He died on March 16, 2018, aged 98.

References

External links

Oral history interview with Leslie Gonda
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gonda, Leslie 1919 births 2018 deaths American businesspeople American people of Hungarian-Jewish descent Jewish American philanthropists American billionaires Hungarian billionaires People from Mezőtúr 20th-century American philanthropists 21st-century American Jews Hungarian emigrants to the United States