| Net Worth: | $800 Million |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth: | September 16, 1925 (99 years old) |
| Gender: | Female |
| Profession: | Entrepreneur |
| Nationality: | United States of America |
What is Martha Firestone Ford’s Net Worth?
Martha Firestone Ford is an American businesswoman who has a net worth of $800 million. William Clay Ford was married to Martha Firestone Ford from 1947 until his passing in 2014. He was the grandson of Henry Ford.
Her fortune, though, wasn’t entirely the result of marriage. The founder of Firestone & Rubber Company, Harvey Firestone, was her grandfather. Additionally, she served as the NFL’s Detroit Lions’ chairperson and former owner.
Childhood
Martha Parke Firestone Ford was born on September 16, 1925, in Cleveland, Ohio, to Harvey S. Firestone Jr. and Elizabeth Parke Firestone.
Harvey Samuel Firestone, the man who founded Firestone Tire and Rubber Co., and his wife Idabelle Smith Firestone are Martha’s paternal grandparents. Vassar College awarded Martha Firestone Ford her degree in 1946.
Career
When he purchased out all the other stockholders in 1963 for $4.5 million, William Clay Ford became the sole owner of the Detroit Lions. The team’s controlling interest would be transferred to Martha after his passing, according to a statement.
As the team’s principal owner, Martha Firestone Ford acquired smaller ownership stakes in the Lions for each of her four children. Responsibility and her readiness to invest money in the football team were the defining characteristics of Martha’s ownership.
In 2017, Martha oversaw a privately funded $100 million makeover of Ford Field, which is unusual in a period when taxpayer money is frequently used to support sports clubs.
Following William’s death, Martha reorganized the team right away. The Lions finished 11-5 in their first season under her ownership, but they struggled to a 1-7 start the following year. She thus dismissed Martin Mayhew, general manager, and longtime president Tom Lewand.
A few weeks later, she engaged Rod Wood, the CEO of the finance and concierge company in Ford Estates, to oversee the Lions’ corporate affairs. These two actions demonstrated her willingness to change things up when necessary.
On June 23, 2020, Martha Firestone Ford resigned as the owner of the Detroit Lions, and her daughter Sheila Ford Hamp took over. Martha was one of just 10 female NFL team owners at the conclusion of her tenure.
Relationship
In New York, at a luncheon organized and attended by both of their mothers, Martha Firestone Ford and William Clay Ford first met. At St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Akron, Ohio, they exchanged vows on June 21, 1947.
The Akron Beacon Journal dubbed it “the largest display Akron has seen in years” and “the biggest society wedding in the city’s history.”
William Clay Ford Jr., Sheila Firestone Hamp, Martha Parke Morse, and Elizabeth Ford Kontulis were the couple’s four children. Just five days before his 89th birthday in 2014, William passed away from illness. 11 great-grandchildren and 14 grandchildren make up Martha’s family.
The Henry Ford Health System’s board of directors includes Martha Firestone Ford. Martha moved to Grosse Pointe Woods after she married William, although the Ford family had long before made Grosse Pointe, Michigan, their home.
In the home that she and William had constructed on Lake St. Clair in 1960, Martha now resides in Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan.
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