Travel with him through the institutions his generosity built — a journey across a lifetime of giving.
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Dr. Herbert A. (“Herbie”) Wertheim is one of America’s most accomplished self-made entrepreneurs, inventors, investors, and philanthropists. Through a career spanning science, engineering, healthcare, business, and investing, he has built one of the nation’s largest self-made fortunes and transformed that success into one of the most significant philanthropic legacies in American higher education and healthcare.
Recognized as one of the nation’s most successful entrepreneurs and investors, Dr. Wertheim is ranked No. 28 on Forbes’ list of the 250 Greatest Self-Made Americans and is a member of the Forbes 400 list of America’s Richest People. His remarkable success was built through innovation, disciplined long-term investing, and the founding of Brain Power Incorporated, a global leader in ophthalmic technology and optical products.
Internationally renowned for his pioneering discoveries in vision science, Dr. Wertheim was the first to identify and demonstrate the harmful effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation on the eye and to develop ultraviolet-light-absorbing technology for ophthalmic lenses. His later innovations also advanced blue-light protective lens technology, fundamentally changing the global standard of eye protection. Holding more than 100 patents, copyrights, and trademarks, his discoveries have helped protect millions of people worldwide from cataracts, macular degeneration, and other degenerative eye diseases.
Today, Dr. Wertheim is recognized as one of America’s leading philanthropists. Through the Dr. Herbert Wertheim Family Foundation and his personal philanthropy, he has committed hundreds of millions of dollars to advancing education, scientific research, medicine, engineering, business, public health, vision science, and the arts. His transformational investments have established colleges, schools, institutes, laboratories, and research centers at many of the nation’s premier universities and healthcare institutions.
His most recent landmark gift of $100 million to Baptist Health South Florida — the largest philanthropic contribution in the organization’s history — established the Baptist Health Herbert Wertheim Cancer Institute and the Dr. Herbert Wertheim Center for Cancer Prevention, accelerating innovation in cancer prevention, early detection, genomic medicine, and precision healthcare.
Among the institutions bearing his name are the Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry & Vision Science at the University of California, Berkeley — home to the world’s No. 1 Vision Science Ph.D. program and ranked No. 1 globally in optometric research; the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine at Florida International University; the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering at the University of Florida; the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science at the University of California San Diego; the Herbert Wertheim College of Business at Florida State University; the Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology; and numerous other academic and medical institutions that continue to shape the future of education, research, and healthcare.
Before founding Brain Power Incorporated, Dr. Wertheim served in the United States Navy and later became one of the first 500 employees hired by NASA, contributing to engineering and instrumentation projects during the formative years of America’s Mercury Program.
His many honors include the Horatio Alger Award, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, induction into the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame, membership in The Giving Pledge, service on the Advisory Committee of the Ellis Island Honors Society, and induction into Tau Beta Pi, the nation’s premier engineering honor society.
Born to immigrant parents, Dr. Wertheim’s life is a testament to the American dream. From humble beginnings, he built a career defined by innovation, entrepreneurship, and disciplined investing before becoming one of the nation’s foremost business leaders and philanthropists.
Dr. Wertheim's generosity reaches beyond the university — into the communities, cultural institutions, and public spaces that bring people together and inspire the next generation.
Dr. Wertheim's philanthropic support helped bring Zoo Miami's Koala Exhibit, River Otter Exhibit, and eucalyptus landscape to life. More than exhibits, these spaces foster curiosity, encourage environmental stewardship, and create memorable experiences that inspire visitors of all ages to appreciate and protect the natural world.
The entrance doors of the Vail Public Library, made possible through Dr. Wertheim's generosity, welcome thousands of visitors into a space dedicated to learning, discovery, and community — a lasting investment in education and lifelong curiosity.
His philanthropy supported the construction of the public radio station in Vail, Colorado, as well as the first PBS television repeater in the Rocky Mountains — expanding access to trusted news, educational programming, and cultural content for mountain communities across the region.
A commemorative plaque at the Vail Public Library honors Dr. Herbert and Nicole Wertheim for their Challenge Grant, which united the community in support of a cherished public resource. As a founder of Friends of Vail and a longtime champion of the Vail Valley, his legacy reflects decades of leadership and service.
The institutions and organizations advanced by Dr. Wertheim’s lifetime of generosity.
“My life’s ambition is to extend kindness and knowledge as often as possible.”