George L Argyros Sr.

George Argyros was born in Detroit in 1937, but his family moved to Pasadena, California, when he was 11. Argyros had a paper route at the age of 11; then at 14, he took a second job in a supermarket for 25 cents an hour. As a senior, he worked nearly full time to support himself and help his family. He put in more than 50 hours a week as a grocery department manager to pay his way through Chapman College in Orange, California. He graduated in 1959 with a degree in business and economics. Still working in the grocery business after graduation, Argyros became licensed in securities, insurance, and real estate. He began to invest in real estate and opened his own brokerage office in 1963. In 1968, he established what would soon become Arnel Development Company. In the 1970s he began to diversify into other businesses. Argyros served as the U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Spain and Principality of Andorra from 2001 to 2004. He became chairman and CEO of Arnel & Affiliates, a prominent West Coast diversified investment company, with corporate offices in Costa Mesa, California. He also became a general partner in Westar Capital, a private investment company. From 1981 to 1987, he was co-owner of AirCal, and from 1981 to 1989, he was owner of the Seattle Mariners Baseball Club of the American League for nine full seasons. Argyros served as a member of the Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations for the U.S. Trade Representative until 1990, when President George W. Bush appointed him to the board of the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac). He completed his term at Freddie Mac in March 1993.