Daniel K. Ludwig
Reclusive tycoon who built supertankers and a pulp paper empire.
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Daniel K. Ludwig was a reclusive shipping tycoon whose operations spanned 23 countries, yet he remained largely unknown to the public.[1] He was born in 1897 in South Haven, Michigan, and left school after eighth grade to work in shipping-related jobs.[2][3]
Key facts and history
Ludwig's first venture was salvaging a 26-foot boat at age nine.[3] In 1967, he purchased about 4 million acres in Brazil for the Jari pulp paper project.[4] To secure funding for tanker construction during the 1930s, Ludwig used future charter agreements as a guarantee for loans.[3] His company, National Bulk Carriers, grew to be a major American shipping firm, with a fleet of roughly 60 ships.[3]
A shipyard Ludwig operated in Virginia during the 1940s adopted welding techniques instead of traditional riveting, which sped up construction during the wartime period.[3] Ludwig was an early adopter of oil supertankers, beginning their construction and use in the 1950s.[3] By early 1982, the Jari project featured a 26-mile railway, 3,000 miles of roads and trails, and communities housing 30,000 people.[3] After incurring $1 billion in losses, Ludwig sold the Jari project to Brazilian investors in 1981.[5]
What the cited sources add
The same source describes Ludwig as an "enigmatic, endlessly creative shipping titan" who bequeathed his conglomerate to cancer research.[6] The Ludwig Cancer Research website states that the Centers and Institute work collaboratively to solve the puzzle of cancer.[7] According to The New York Times, a minimum bid of $13.9 million was set for the auction of Ludwig's Panama citrus venture, but no buyers came forward.[8] Le Monde further noted that a Brazilian consortium acquired the Jari complex in the 21st century.[9]
References
- Wikipedia, "Daniel K. Ludwig" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Daniel Ludwig billionaire businessman dies at 95", The New York Times, 29 August 1992; "Reclusive super-rich people from Howard Hughes to the Barclay Brothers", lovemoney.com (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Daniel K. Ludwig" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Ludwig's, "Obituary: Charles P. Ludwig" , Commercial Record, accessed 24 November 2014; "Daniel Ludwig billionaire businessman dies at 95", The New York Times, 29 August 1992; Obituary: Capt. L.C. Ludwig, Age 99" , South Haven Tribune, 17 May 1954, accessed 24 November 2014 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Daniel K. Ludwig" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Daniel Ludwig billionaire businessman dies at 95", The New York Times, 29 August 1992 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Daniel K. Ludwig" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: McWhiter, "Guinness Book of Records 1982", Guinness Superlatives Ltd, 1981, p. 195 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Daniel K. Ludwig" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Michel Braudeau, « Daniel Ludwig avait rêvé trop tard », first published in Le Monde, 17 July 2003, collected in Le rêve amazonien, éditions Gallimard, 2004 ( ); McWhiter, "Guinness Book of Records 1982", Guinness Superlatives Ltd, 1981, p. 195; "Daniel Ludwig billionaire businessman dies at 95", The New York Times, 29 August 1992 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- "Ludwig Cancer Research bestows half billion in new funding to six eminent US research institutions" , Ludwig Cancer Research, 6 January 2014. facts only, no text reused. ludwigcancerresearch.org
- "New Paths of Discovery: 2012 Research Highlights", Ludwig Cancer Research. facts only, no text reused. ludwigcancerresearch.org
- Wikipedia, "Daniel K. Ludwig" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Auction Fails in Panama," New York Times, 27 May 1991 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Daniel K. Ludwig" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Michel Braudeau, « Daniel Ludwig avait rêvé trop tard », first published in Le Monde, 17 July 2003, collected in Le rêve amazonien, éditions Gallimard, 2004 ( ) (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Daniel K. Ludwig (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Daniel K. Ludwig (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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