Merage family
The Merage family is a wealthy Iranian Jewish family residing in Orange County, California. In 2004 the Merage Jewish Community Center opened in Irvine, California; the center was named after the Merage Family and serves the needs of Orange County.
David and Paul Merage co-founded Chef America Inc. where they created the popular microwavable snack, Hot Pockets, in the early 1980s. The brothers later sold the Chef America Inc. company to Nestlé for $2.6 billion. Hot Pockets were manufactured in Englewood, Colorado, Chef America's former headquarters, until moving its business to the rest of Nestlé's frozen business in Solon, Ohio.
Paul Merage's daughter Michelle Janavs was sentenced to a 5-month sentence for bribing and cheating to secure a place for her daughter at University of Southern California.
