George Lindemann


George Lyle Lindemann was an American billionaire businessman known for being the chairman and chief executive officer of Southern Union, a pipeline company. He was also the owner of 19 Spanish-language radio stations and the vice president of the Metropolitan Opera Association in New York City.
He ranked #703 on the Forbes 2018 list of the world's billionaires, with a net worth of US$3.3 billion.

Early life and education

George Lindemann was born to a Jewish family in 1936 in New York City. He received a bachelor's degree in economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Career

In 1957, Lindemann began his career with his father's business, a cosmetics and hair care company called The Nestle-LeMur. From 1962 to 1972, Lindemann was the president of Smith, Miller and Patch, a pharmaceutical company. He sold Permalens, his family's eye-care company that developed the first permanent-wear soft contact lens, to Cooper Labs for $75 million in 1971. In 1972, Lindemann founded cable TV firm Vision Cable, which he sold a decade later to Samuel Irving Newhouse Jr. and his brother for $220 million.
Shortly after, he founded a cell phone company, Metro Mobile, which he later sold to Bell Atlantic for $2.5 billion in 1991. He then shifted his focus to struggling natural gas pipeline company Southern Union, which he had acquired through Metro Mobile in 1990 for $125 million. He was CEO of Southern Union, and sold it in 2012 to Energy Transfer Equity, for approximately $2.0 billion.
Lindemann owned 19 Spanish-speaking radio stations. He was president of Cellular Dynamics and the managing general partner of Activated Communications Limited Partnership beginning in 1982. He was a general partner of Panhandle Eastern. He sat on the board of directors of HI Europe Limited and on the advisory board of Hudson Clean Energy Partners.
According to Forbes 2018 list of the world's billionaires, Lindemann’s net worth was US$3.3 billion.

Philanthropy and political activities

He has made donations to Republican candidates, such as Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, Ed Royce, Denny Rehberg, and Virginia Foxx. He is a supporter of the Center for Jewish History.
The Lindemann Young Artist Development Program at the Metropolitan Opera is named after him and his wife. The Lindemann family also donated to the Greenwich Hospital Foundation.

Personal life

Lindemann was married to Frayda B. Lindemann who is vice-president on the board of the Metropolitan Opera. They have three children:
Lindemann was the president of the board of directors of the Bass Museum of Art. He lived in Palm Beach, Florida, but sold the house in 2008. He has other homes on the Upper East Side and in Greenwich, Connecticut. As of September 2011, he was the 736th richest person in the world, and the 220th richest in the US, with an estimated wealth of US$2.1 billion. He owned a 180-foot schooner, Adela, which has won international sailing competitions. The Lindemanns are members of the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County.