Paul P. Bernstein (born 1934) is an American businessman and philanthropist.
Biography
Bernstein was born to a
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
family in 1934 in
The Bronx
The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...
, the son of Jack and Martha Bernstein, who where born and raised in Berlin. His father worked in a jewelry store eventually becoming a minor partner. He went to
William Howard Taft High School. He had an older brother
Zalman Bernstein
Zalman Chaim Bernstein (1926-1999; זלמן חיים ברנשטיין), originally known in his businesses as Sanford Bernstein, was an American billionaire businessman and philanthropist. . In 1956, he graduated with a bachelor's degree in Economics from
New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin.
In 1832, the ...
where he was a member of the Jewish fraternity
Alpha Epsilon Pi
Alpha Epsilon Pi (), commonly known as AEPi, is a college fraternity founded at New York University in 1913 by Charles C. Moskowitz and ten other men. The fraternity has more than 150 active chapters across the United States, Canada, United Kingdo ...
. He joined the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
after school where he was assigned to
Fort Dix and later
Fort Benjamin Harrison
Fort Benjamin Harrison was a U.S. Army post located in suburban Lawrence Township, Marion County, Indiana, northeast of Indianapolis, between 1906 and 1991. It is named for the 23rd United States president, Benjamin Harrison.
History
In 1901, ...
where he was enrolled in a typing and shorthand school; he avoided going to Korea because he graduated first in his class.
In 1957, his brother secured him a job as a broker with
Dreyfus Funds.
[Stoler - minute 10:00] In 1960, he moved to
Oppenheimer Holdings
Oppenheimer Holdings is an American multinational independent investment bank and financial services company offering investment banking, financial advisory services, capital markets services, asset management, wealth management, and related pro ...
after Dreyfus reduced the commissions and was able to secure a job for his brother.
In the 1960s, Zalman left Oppenheimer, eventually starting his own firm with two partners, and soon after hired Bernstein as a salesman. The two partners left after six months for other opportunities, and the firm was renamed
Sanford Bernstein. Zalman was able to convince former Oppenheimer associates,
Shepard D. Osherow,
Roger Hertog
Roger Hertog (born July 5,1941) is an American businessman, financier, and conservative philanthropist. Born and raised in The Bronx borough of New York City, New York, Hertog pursued a career in business, becoming president of Sanford Bernstei ...
,
Lewis A. Sanders, and Shelly Lawrence to join his firm.
[Stoler - minute 15:00]
Sanford C. Bernstein's assets under management grew to over $80 billion from more than 25,000 private and institutional clients.
The firm was eventually sold to Alliance Capital Management
and is part of what is known as
AllianceBernstein
AllianceBernstein Holding L.P. (AB) is a global asset management firm providing investment management and research services worldwide to institutional, high-net-worth and retail investors.
AllianceBernstein's headquarters are located in Nashvill ...
today.
Philanthropy
Bernstein is involved in charitable work of various kinds, including
Seeds of Peace
Seeds of Peace is a peacebuilding and leadership development organization headquartered in New York City. It was founded in 1993. As its main program, the organization brings youth and educators from areas of conflict to its camp in Maine. It a ...
,
The Seeing Eye
The Seeing Eye, Inc. is a guide dog school located in Morristown, New Jersey, in the United States. Founded in 1929, the Seeing Eye is the oldest guide dog school in the U.S., and one of the largest. The Seeing Eye campus includes administra ...
, and K-9 Companions. Bernstein had a role in the movie
Serendipity
Serendipity is an unplanned fortunate discovery. Serendipity is a common occurrence throughout the history of product invention and scientific discovery.
Etymology
The first noted use of "serendipity" was by Horace Walpole on 28 January 1754. I ...
, and produced a movie and book about Muslims who risked their lives to save Jews during the
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 ...
.
Personal life
Bernstein currently resides in
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
with his wife. The couple have a son.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bernstein, Paul P.
1934 births
Businesspeople from the Bronx
New York University College of Arts & Science alumni
21st-century American philanthropists
20th-century American businesspeople
Living people
21st-century American Jews