Morris Mirkin (September 18, 1918 – June 27, 1985) was an American businessman who founded

Budget Rent-a-Car Budget Rent a Car System, Inc. is an American car rental company that was founded in 1958 in Los Angeles, California by Morris Mirkin. Budget is a subsidiary of the Avis Budget Group, with its operations headquartered in Parsippany-Troy Hills, N ...

Biography

Mirkin was born to a

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

family in

Sioux City Sioux City () is a city in Woodbury and Plymouth counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 85,797 in the 2020 census, making it the fourth-most populous city in Iowa. The county seat of Woodbury County, Sioux City is the primar ...

Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...

, the son of immigrants from Russia. Mirkin served in the

U.S. Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its origins to 1 ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. In 1958, he opened the first Budget Rent-a-Car office at Wilshire and Robertson boulevards in Los Angeles. In 1960, he was joined by Jules Lederer and they incorporated the company as Budget Rent-a-Car Corporation. In 1968, they sold Budget to

Transamerica Corporation Transamerica Corporation is an American holding company for various life insurance companies and investment firms operating primarily in the United States, offering life and supplemental health insurance, investments, and retirement services. The ...

. Mirkin was a thoroughbred horse breeder with wins including the Hollywood Park Gold Cup and the All-American Handicap at

Golden Gate Fields Golden Gate Fields was an American horse racing race track, track straddling both Albany, California and Berkeley, California along the shoreline of San Francisco Bay adjacent to the Eastshore Freeway in the San Francisco Bay Area. With the closi ...

Personal life

Mirkin was married to Judith Carole Lindenberg on March 9, 1952, and they had three children; Jeffrey Randall Mirkin, Margaux Karen Mirkin and Mitchell Anthony Mirkin. They were divorced in 1976. Mirkin married Claudia Mirkin in 1978; she has four children. He died of cancer on June 27, 1985, at his home in

Beverly Hills Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. A notable and historic suburb of Los Angeles, it is located just southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Beverly Hil ...

. Services were held at

Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery The Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery is a Jewish cemetery in Culver City, California, United States. Many Jewish people from the entertainment industry are buried there. The cemetery is known for Al Jolson's elaborate tomb (designed by Los Angeles ...

. Mirkin established the Morris Mirkin Foundation which was dedicated to helping children with learning disabilities.

References

1918 births 1985 deaths 20th-century American Jews American company founders {{US-business-bio-1910s-stub