Leonard Riggio | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 28, 1941[1] |
| Occupation(s) | former Executive Chairman, Barnes & Noble |
| Known for | founder of modern Barnes & Noble bookstores (1971) |
| Parent | Steve Riggio (father)[3] |
Leonard S. Riggio (born February 28, 1941)[1] is a retired American businessman and entrepreneur. He served as executive chairman of book store chain Barnes & Noble and was its largest shareholder from 1971[4] until the sale of the company to the hedge fund Elliott Advisors in 2019.[5][6] Under his leadership the company expanded significantly from a single retail location on 105 Fifth Avenue, New York to a nationwide chain with 600+ stores, which it did with acquisitions and mergers of competing chain stores.
- ^ a b c "Profile: Leonard S. Riggio". Business Week. June 29, 1998. Retrieved August 17, 2009.
- ^ N.B. Some sources document Riggio being born in Little Italy in New York City and growing up in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. Cf. Kirkpatrick (1999) New York magazine, inter alia. Other sources such as Reuters document him as having been born in the Bronx, New York.
- ^ a b Kirkpatrick, David D., "Barnes & Noble's Jekyll and Hyde", New York magazine, July 19, 1999
- ^ Trachtenberg, Jeffrey A. (February 19, 2010). "Barnes & Noble Won't Let Burkle Raise Stakes – Board's Unanimous Decision to Bar Activist Investor from Holding 37% of Bookseller's Shares Could Lead to Proxy Fight". The Wall Street Journal Retrieved August 21, 2013
- ^ "Barnes & Noble Founder Retires, Leaving His Imprint on Bookstore's History". NPR.org. May 7, 2016. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
- ^ Alter, Alexandra (June 7, 2019). "Barnes & Noble is Sold to Hedge Fund After a Tumultuous Year". The New York Times.