Leonard Riggio
Leonard Riggio | |
|---|---|
Riggio in his high school yearbook in 1958 | |
| Born | February 28, 1941 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | August 27, 2024 (aged 83) New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Known for | Executive chairman, Barnes & Noble |
| Spouse | Louise Gebbia (second marriage) |
| Children | 3 |
Leonard Stephen Riggio (February 28, 1941 – August 27, 2024) was an American businessman. He served as executive chairman of book store chain Barnes & Noble and was its largest shareholder from 1971 until the sale of the company to the hedge fund Elliott Investment Management in 2019. Under his leadership the company expanded significantly from a single retail location on 105 Fifth Avenue in New York City to a nationwide chain with 600+ stores, which it did with acquisitions and mergers of competing chain stores including his takeover of B. Dalton in 1986, which was supported by a major investment from the Dutch retailer Vendex International and Drexel Burnham Lambert–issued junk bonds.