Alfred Taubman, who helped shopping in the United States by developing malls, died of a heart attack while at home on Friday, He was 91.
Taubman was known for philanthropy, especially in his native Michigan, where was a large contributor to the Detroit Institute of Arts.
“Al Taubman changed the way America shops. But his greatest legacy will be how he used his fortune to help people in Michigan and beyond,” Gov. Rick Snyder stated. “He will be long remembered not just for his retail genius, but for the lives he touched through his kindness.”
Taubman was born to immigrants who were left poor in the Great Depression. Taubman built a fortune that Forbes estimates at $3.1 billion.
His business acumen changed America’s shopping habits. He started his own business in 1925 by building stores but later designing and owning shopping centers.
Taubman built the first multi-level malls, and in 1970 built in Chicago what was then the world’s largest shipping center.
He was married twice, his second wife being a former Miss Israel.