Ted Stanley

Theodore Richard "Ted" Stanley (April 26, 1931 – January 3, 2016) was an American entrepreneur and philanthropist. He co-founded the Danbury Mint with partner Ralph Glendinning, which was then a subsidiary of MBI Inc.

Born in Reading, Pennsylvania, Stanley graduated from University of Pennsylvania. He then served in the United States Air Force and was an intelligence officer. Stanley worked for Procter & Gamble in the marketing division in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Stanley became a billionaire during his lifetime, acquiring a net worth of approximately $1.3 billion. Stanley became wealthy through the business of selling various collectibles by mail order, such as commemorative postage stamps, decorative plates, and other such items. His company's first product was a medal series that commemorated the Apollo 11 first manned moon landing. After this, the business continued to expand.

In 1988, Stanley's son was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at the age of 19 after having a psychiatric episode that saw him running around New York streets for 3 days and stripping off his clothes in public. His son was eventually able to be helped with a lithium treatment, and eventually finished college and law school, but during the course of his son's treatment he met many parents who were not so lucky, whose children did not improve after treatment. In response, Stanley started donating to mental health research.

Shortly before his death, Stanley made a large donation to the Broad Institute of Cambridge, MA of approximately $650 million for research into genetic markers of mental health. It is recognized as one of the largest private donations ever to support scientific research. The $650 million donation comprised the majority of Stanley's financial holdings. Through the years, Stanley donated over $825 million to support work and research at the Broad Institute.

Stanley died in his sleep, at his home, in New Canaan, Connecticut.