Peter W. Mullin
American businessman (1941–2023)
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Peter William Mullin (January 14, 1941 – September 18, 2023) was an American businessman and philanthropist. He was the founder of the M Financial Group and chairman of its subsidiary, M Financial Holdings. Additionally, he served as the chairman of Mullin Barens Sanford Financial. He was the founder and patron of the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, California.
Peter W. Mullin | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 14, 1941 |
| Died | September 18, 2023 (aged 82) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of California, Santa Barbara |
| Occupations | Businessman, philanthropist |
| Spouse | Merle Mullin |
| Parent(s) | William and Jeannette Mullin |
Early life
Peter William Mullin was born in South Pasadena, California, near Los Angeles, California.[1] He graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in Economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara.[2][3]
Career
Mullin founded Mullin Consulting in Downtown Los Angeles in 1969.[4] He served as its chief executive officer until 2003 and as its chairman until 2006.[4]
Mullin co-founded the M Financial Group with Mark Solomon, Carl Mammel, and Eli Morgan in 1978.[5][6] He served as the chairman of its subsidiary, M Financial Holdings.[2] Headquartered in Portland, Oregon,[7] it offers life insurance and other financial services to "the ultra-affluent and corporate markets."[8]
Additionally, Mullin served as the chairman of Mullin Barens Sanford Financial, an executive compensation firm.[2]
Mullin served on the board of directors of Avery Dennison from 1998 to 2013.[4] He served on the Advisory Board of Main Management.[9]
Mullin was a member of the Los Angeles Business Advisors, a group of 24 businessmen who opposed Mayor Richard Riordan's policy of creating "neighbourhood councils" in Downtown Los Angeles in 1998.[10]
Philanthropy
An avid car collector, Mullin established the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, California, in 2010.[2][6] Additionally, he served as the president of the American Bugatti Club.[11] He was also a member of the Bugatti Trust.[3] He served on the Advisory Boards of the Autry National Center and the Guggenheim Foundation.[3] He served on the board of trustees of the Good Samaritan Hospital, a hospital affiliated with the University of Southern California.[12] He also served as the chairman of the Music Center Foundation, the fundraising arm of the Los Angeles Music Center.[13]
Mullin supported colleges and universities. He formerly served as the chair of the board of trustees of Occidental College.[14] He also served on the board of trustees of the California Institute of Technology.[3] He has served on the board of visitors of the UCLA Anderson School of Management since 1990.[15] He pledged a US$5 million donation to Anderson in 1999.[1] As a result, the Mullin Management Commons at UCLA was named in his honor.[1] Moreover, Mullin has served on the board of trustees of the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena since 2011.[3] With his wife, he donated US$15 million to the Art Center in 2013.[16]
Mullin supported Roman Catholic charities. He served on the board of Paulist Productions.[3] Additionally, he served on the board of trustees of the Saint John's Health Center, a Roman Catholic hospital in Santa Monica, California, where the Mullin Plaza and the Mullin Gardens were named in his honor in 2013.[17] With his wife and The Angell Foundation, he has also supported a program of Roman Catholic scholars at the Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies of the USC Dornsife College for Letters, Arts and Sciences.[18]
Mullin was a Knight of Malta and a Knight of Saint Gregory.[3]
In 2018, Mullin attempted to open a classic car museum in England, situated at Enstone Airfield, West Oxfordshire.[19] Plans for the museum were approved by the District Council in 2019, although in 2022 Mullin submitted altered plans, which are still awaiting approval.[20][21]
Personal life and death
Mullin and his wife Merle resided in Brentwood, a suburb on the West side of Los Angeles.[12] They had six children between them.[12] While he didn't enjoy driving, she loved to drive.[22] They owned property in Umbria, Italy, where they made "olive oil, wine, honey, and raised Cinta Senese pigs for prosciutto."[3][12]
Mullin was inducted into the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin in 1990.[23]
Mullin won Best of Show at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in 2011.[24]
Peter W. Mullin died in Big Sur on September 18, 2023, at the age of 82.[25]