Richard Gelfond

Gelfond was raised in Plainview, Long Island.^[3] He earned his bachelor's degree from Stony Brook University in 1976, and his Juris Doctor from Northwestern University School of Law in 1979.^[4][5]

Gelfond started his career as a law clerk for U.S. Court of Appeals judge Max Rosenn.^[6] He later worked as a lawyer at Cleary Gottlieb and as an investment banker at Drexel Burnham Lambert.^[7][8] In early 1986, he founded Clean Street USA, a dry cleaning store chain in Long Island. In September 1986, he quit a law firm to help his brother David Gelfond manage the chain.^[9] By 1988, he was serving as president of the company.^[10]

Gelfond joined IMAX Corporation as vice chairman in 1994 when the investment company he co-founded and was a principal of acquired IMAX.^[11][12] He became co-CEO in 1996, and CEO in 2009.^[13][1] In 1996, Gelfond received an Academy Award on behalf of IMAX for Scientific and Technical Achievement.^[14]

In 1988, Gelfond was appointed chairman of the advisory board of the Business and Industry Center at Stony Brook University.^[10] He became chair of the board of trustees of the Stony Brook Foundation.^[15]

Gelfond was vice chairman of the board of trustees of the New York Historical Society.^[16] He is chairman of the steering committee of the Columbia Shuttle Memorial Trust.^[17]

Gelfond had high levels of mercury in his blood following a diet of "sushi twice a day for two decades".^[18]

In 2004, Gelfond was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree by Stony Brook University.^[4]