An American entrepreneur, Martha Firestone Ford was born Martha Parke Firestone on September 16, 1925. She was the former chairperson and primary owner of the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). Moreover, Ford serves on the board of directors for the Henry Ford Health System.
Martha Firestone Ford Net Worth
American entrepreneur Martha Firestone Ford is worth an estimated $800 million. William Clay Ford, grandson of Henry Ford, was married to Martha Firestone Ford from 1947 until his death in 2014. Even so, her marriage did not bring in all of her riches. Harvey Firestone, founder of Firestone & Rubber Company, was her grandfather. She has also served as chairperson and owner of the NFL’s Detroit Lions.
Martha Firestone Ford Early Life
Martha Parke Firestone Ford was born to Harvey S. Firestone Jr. and Elizabeth Parke Firestone in Cleveland, Ohio, on September 16, 1925. Harvey Samuel Firestone and Idabelle Smith Firestone were Martha’s paternal grandparents.
Harvey was the founder of Firestone Tire and Rubber Co. The class of 1946 saw Martha Firestone Ford’s Vassar College graduation.
The Detroit Lions
In 1963, William Clay Ford paid $4.5 million to buy out all the other shareholders in the Detroit Lions, becoming the team’s sole owner. Following his passing, news spread that Martha would be receiving the team’s majority shareholding. In addition to Martha Firestone Ford, who became the team’s principal owner, each of her four children also had a small stake in the Lions.
Accountability and financial support for the football team were hallmarks of Martha’s ownership. While most sports clubs receive funding from the government, Martha oversaw a $100 million makeover of Ford Field in 2017 that was privately funded.
The Lions went 11-5 in Martha’s first season as owner after William’s death, but they got off to a rough start the following year, finishing 1-7. As a result, she let go of Martin Mayhew, the general manager, and longtime president Tom Lewand.
She appointed Rod Wood, CEO of the financial and concierge service in Ford Estates, to oversee the Lions’ corporate operations a few weeks later. These two actions demonstrated her fearlessness in causing disruptions when called upon.
On June 23, 2020, Martha Firestone Ford’s daughter Sheila Ford Hamp took over as the owner of the Detroit Lions after her mother’s resignation. Martha was one of just ten female owners of NFL teams by the time her reign came to a close.
Martha Firestone Ford Personal Life
Martha Firestone Ford and William Clay Ford were introduced at a lunch in New York City that was hosted by Martha’s and William’s moms. They exchanged wedding vows in Akron, Ohio’s St. Paul’s Episcopal Church on June 21, 1947.
They called it “the biggest show Akron has seen in years” and “the biggest society wedding in Akron’s history” according to the Akron Beacon Journal. Martha Parke Morse, Sheila Firestone Hamp, William Clay Ford Jr., and Elizabeth Ford Kontulis were the four children that were born to the marriage.
Five days prior to his 89th birthday in 2014, William passed away from pneumonia. Among Martha’s many grandkids, eleven are great-grandchildren. The Henry Ford Health System also counts Martha Firestone Ford among its board members.
After Martha’s marriage to William, the family moved to Grosse Pointe Woods, although they had long been residents of Grosse Pointe, Michigan. The house that Martha and William constructed on Lake St. Clair in 1960 is now Martha’s home in Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan.
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