Maurice Kanbar
Encyclopedia
Maurice Kanbar is an American
entrepreneur
and inventor who lives in San Francisco, California
. He is particularly well-known for his creation of SKYY vodka
, and is also noted for his extensive real estate investments.
s on various consumer and medical products, invented the D-Fuzz-It comb for sweaters, Tangoes Puzzle Game, the Safetyglide hypodermic needle protector, a cryogenic cataract
remover, a new LED
traffic light, and Zip Notes, rolled sticky notes with a centerline adhesive strip. He created New York
's first multiplex cinema, the Quad Cinema
, which was the first movie theater in Manhattan to have four small auditoriums in one building.
In the beverage industry, Kanbar had a success with SKYY vodka
, also introduced Vermeer Dutch Chocolate Cream Liqueur
and most recently has launched Blue Angel Premium Vodka.
He produced the animated film Hoodwinked! which was released in January 2006 and grossed over $100M worldwide.
Kanbar owns many commercial buildings in Tulsa, Oklahoma. His extensive investments in Tulsa led to a legal dispute with his former business partner Henry Kaufman, with each suing the other.
At one point Kanbar's company was reported to have owned as much as one-third of all available office space in downtown Tulsa although some of these properties were subsequently sold or reported to be for sale.
Kanbar is a graduate of Philadelphia University
, where he studied Materials Science. In 2005, he donated $6 million dollars for the construction of the school's new campus center, the largest donation in the school's history. In 1997, Kanbar donated $5 million to the Tisch School of the Arts
, part of New York University
, which named its film school after him: The Maurice Kanbar Institute of Film and Television. Through a donation from the Kanbar College Charitable Trust, Kanbar Hall was constructed at Bowdoin College
, the alma mater of Maurice's brother, Elliott.
Kanbar owns and lives in an eight-story residential tower in the Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco; he received attention for his 1999 decision to evict his tenants in order to become the sole occupant of the building. He is a member of Mensa
. He has received honorary degrees from Kenyon College
, Bar-Ilan University
, and Yeshiva University
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
and inventor who lives in San Francisco, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. He is particularly well-known for his creation of SKYY vodka
SKYY vodka
SKYY vodka is produced by SKYY Spirits LLC in San Francisco, California. SKYY Vodka is 40% ABV or 80 proof; SKYY 90 Vodka is a 90 proof high-priced brand aimed at martini drinkers. When SKYY Spirits LLC first launched in 1992 SKYY vodka was its first product; its creator, Maurice Kanbar, claims the...
, and is also noted for his extensive real estate investments.
Biography
Kanbar is stated to own 36 patentPatent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
s on various consumer and medical products, invented the D-Fuzz-It comb for sweaters, Tangoes Puzzle Game, the Safetyglide hypodermic needle protector, a cryogenic cataract
Cataract
A cataract is a clouding that develops in the crystalline lens of the eye or in its envelope, varying in degree from slight to complete opacity and obstructing the passage of light...
remover, a new LED
LEd
LEd is a TeX/LaTeX editing software working under Microsoft Windows. It is a freeware product....
traffic light, and Zip Notes, rolled sticky notes with a centerline adhesive strip. He created New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
's first multiplex cinema, the Quad Cinema
Quad (cinema)
The Quad Cinema is New York City's first four-screen movie theater, and, according to its founder, the "East Coast's first multiplex". Located in Greenwich Village, it was opened by entrepreneur Maurice Kanbar, along with his younger brother Elliott Kanbar, in October 1972...
, which was the first movie theater in Manhattan to have four small auditoriums in one building.
In the beverage industry, Kanbar had a success with SKYY vodka
SKYY vodka
SKYY vodka is produced by SKYY Spirits LLC in San Francisco, California. SKYY Vodka is 40% ABV or 80 proof; SKYY 90 Vodka is a 90 proof high-priced brand aimed at martini drinkers. When SKYY Spirits LLC first launched in 1992 SKYY vodka was its first product; its creator, Maurice Kanbar, claims the...
, also introduced Vermeer Dutch Chocolate Cream Liqueur
Vermeer Dutch Chocolate Cream Liqueur
Vermeer Dutch Chocolate Cream Liqueur is a sweet liqueur made of Dutch chocolate, cream, and vodka. It was created by Maurice Kanbar who tested it for five years before presenting the liqueur to the public in 2001. Vermeer is 34 U.S...
and most recently has launched Blue Angel Premium Vodka.
He produced the animated film Hoodwinked! which was released in January 2006 and grossed over $100M worldwide.
Kanbar owns many commercial buildings in Tulsa, Oklahoma. His extensive investments in Tulsa led to a legal dispute with his former business partner Henry Kaufman, with each suing the other.
At one point Kanbar's company was reported to have owned as much as one-third of all available office space in downtown Tulsa although some of these properties were subsequently sold or reported to be for sale.
Kanbar is a graduate of Philadelphia University
Philadelphia University
Philadelphia University, founded in 1884, is a private university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Philadelphia University's student body consists of about 3,500 individuals from all 50 states and over 50 countries...
, where he studied Materials Science. In 2005, he donated $6 million dollars for the construction of the school's new campus center, the largest donation in the school's history. In 1997, Kanbar donated $5 million to the Tisch School of the Arts
Tisch School of the Arts
Tisch School of the Arts is one of the 15 schools that make up New York University ....
, part of New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
, which named its film school after him: The Maurice Kanbar Institute of Film and Television. Through a donation from the Kanbar College Charitable Trust, Kanbar Hall was constructed at Bowdoin College
Bowdoin College
Bowdoin College , founded in 1794, is an elite private liberal arts college located in the coastal Maine town of Brunswick, Maine. As of 2011, U.S. News and World Report ranks Bowdoin 6th among liberal arts colleges in the United States. At times, it was ranked as high as 4th in the country. It is...
, the alma mater of Maurice's brother, Elliott.
Kanbar owns and lives in an eight-story residential tower in the Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco; he received attention for his 1999 decision to evict his tenants in order to become the sole occupant of the building. He is a member of Mensa
Mensa International
Mensa is the largest and oldest high-IQ society in the world. It is a non-profit organization open to people who score at the 98th percentile or higher on a standardised, supervised IQ or other approved intelligence test...
. He has received honorary degrees from Kenyon College
Kenyon College
Kenyon College is a private liberal arts college in Gambier, Ohio, founded in 1824 by Bishop Philander Chase of The Episcopal Church, in parallel with the Bexley Hall seminary. It is the oldest private college in Ohio...
, Bar-Ilan University
Bar-Ilan University
Bar-Ilan University is a university in Ramat Gan of the Tel Aviv District, Israel.Established in 1955, Bar Ilan is now Israel's second-largest academic institution. It has nearly 26,800 students and 1,350 faculty members...
, and Yeshiva University
Yeshiva University
Yeshiva University is a private university in New York City, with six campuses in New York and one in Israel. Founded in 1886, it is a research university ranked as 45th in the US among national universities by U.S. News & World Report in 2012...
.