Benjamin Leon#Besilu Stables
{{Short description|Cuban-American businessman}}
{{Infobox politician
| name = Benjamin Leon, Jr.
| office = United States Ambassador to Spain
Nominee
| term_start = TBD
| term_end =
| president = Donald Trump
| succeeding = Julissa Reynoso Pantaleón
| image =
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1944|12|4}}
| alma_mater =
| spouse =
| children =
}}
Benjamin Leon, Jr. (born December 4, 1944) is a Cuban-American businessman and horse enthusiast who has been nominated by President Donald Trump to serve as the United States ambassador to Spain.{{Cite web |last=Wehner |first=Greg |date=2025-01-02 |title=Trump taps team to work with US Treasury nominee Scott Bessent |url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-taps-team-work-us-treasury-nominee-scott-bessent |access-date=2025-01-21 |website=Fox News |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Trump nominates Florida businessman Benjamin León Jr. as US ambassador to Spain |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-nominates-florida-businessman-benjamin-le%C3%B3n-jr-as-us-ambassador-to-spain/ar-AA1x3dK6?ocid=BingNewsVerp&apiversion=v2&noservercache=1&domshim=1&renderwebcomponents=1&wcseo=1&batchservertelemetry=1&noservertelemetry=1 |access-date=2025-01-21 |website=www.msn.com}}
Career
Leon was born in Oriente, Cuba in 1944.{{cite web|title=About Our Founder|url=http://www.leonmedicalcenters.com/English/founder.htm|website=Leon Medical Centers|accessdate=15 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208091457/http://www.leonmedicalcenters.com/English/founder.htm|archive-date=8 December 2015|url-status=dead}} Leon migrated to Miami, Florida in 1961.{{cite news|last1=Novak|first1=Claire|title=Patience a virtue for Benjamin Leon|url=https://www.espn.com/horse-racing/story/_/id/8583356/claire-novak-patience-virtue-benjamin-leon|access-date=15 October 2015|publisher=ESPN|date=11 March 2012}} Leon's father founded Clinica Cuba in 1964 in order to help meet the healthcare needs of newly immigrated Cubans. Leon and his father also founded Clínica Asociación Cubana (CAC), one of the first health maintenance organizations in the United States. In 1994, Leon sold CAC to UnitedHealthCare for $500 million. In 1996, Leon founded Leon Medical Centers, which provides healthcare to Medicare patients.{{cite web|title=Benjamin Leon Jr.|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=34766608&privcapId=4546523|publisher=Bloomberg L.P.|accessdate=15 October 2015}} Leon Medical Centers is currently led by Leon's son, Benjamin Leon III, who serves as the company's CEO.{{cite news|last1=Gale|first1=Kevin|title=Leon Medical Centers offers model for health care reform|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/print-edition/2012/07/27/leon-medical-centers-offers-model-for.html|accessdate=15 October 2015|publisher=South Florida Business Journal|date=27 July 2012}}
Besilu Stables
In the 1980s, Leon established Besilu Stables, and began to show and breed Paso Fino horses. In 2008, Leon bought his first Thoroughbred, and soon after started racing horses. In 2011, Leon bought Royal Delta for $8.5 million. She would win the Eclipse Award for American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly in 2011 and again in 2012 and 2013 as the American Champion Older Dirt Female Horse.{{cite news|last1=Genaro|first1=Theresa|title=The $8.5 Million Mare, Royal Delta Keeps On Winning|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/teresagenaro/2013/08/27/the-8-5-million-mare-royal-delta-keeps-on-winning/|accessdate=15 October 2015|work=Forbes|date=27 August 2013}}
Political activity and philanthropy
In 2015, Leon donated $2.5 million to the presidential campaign of Marco Rubio.{{cite news|last1=Nehamas|first1=Nicholas|title=Top donors to political committees backing Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio hail from Miami|url=http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/elections-2016/article29732698.html|accessdate=15 October 2015|publisher=Miami Herald|date=1 August 2015}} Leon has also donated to the Republican Party of Kentucky and Mitch McConnell.{{cite news|last1=Loftus|first1=Tom|title=Wrestling promoter Vince McMahon gives big to Ky GOP|url=http://www.courier-journal.com/story/politics-blog/2014/07/20/republican-party-contributors-donors-money/12908305/|accessdate=15 October 2015|publisher=The Courier-Journal|date=20 July 2014}}
In 2008, Leon donated $10 million to establish the Florida International University Family Center for Geriatrics Research and Education.{{cite news|title=FIU College of Medicine receives major gift to establish the Benjamín León, Jr. Family Center for Geriatric Research and Education|url=http://news.fiu.edu/2008/05/fiu-college-of-medicine-receives-major-gift-to-establish-the-benjamin-leon-jr-family-center-for-geriatric-research-and-education/480|accessdate=15 October 2015|publisher=Florida International University|date=28 May 2008}}
References
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Category:Businesspeople from Miami