Background
Simon was born in Neptune, New Jersey, the son of William E. Simon, Sr., the 63rd Secretary of the Treasury under Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. Simon, Sr., also served as director of the Federal Energy Office. Coincidentally, Simon was a childhood friend of former Democratic party chair Howard Dean.
Simon earned a B.A. from Williams College in 1973, where he was admitted to the Zeta Psi fraternity, and a J.D. from Boston College in 1982. From 1986 to 1988, Simon served as Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, working under then-U.S. Attorney Rudolph Giuliani.
In 1988, Simon co-founded William E. Simon & Sons, a global merchant bank, with his father and brother. Simon managed the family business (which has over $3 billion dollars in assets), as the Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and as a trustee for the Heritage Foundation. Simon also chairs the William E. Simon Foundation. Simon has contributed some of his personal resources to assist less fortunate youths through educational scholarships and beautification of California schools.
Read more about this topic: Bill Simon (politician)
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