Neil Bush

Neil Bush. He is an American businessman, philanthropist, and member of the prominent Bush family. The third son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush, and the younger brother of former President George W. Bush and former Governor Jeb Bush, his career in energy and education has been accompanied by significant financial and regulatory controversies. He is the founder and chairman of the philanthropic Points of Light Institute.

Early life and education

Neil Mallon Bush was born in Midland, Texas, and spent his early years there before his family moved to Houston. He attended the Kinkaid School in Houston before completing his secondary education at St. Albans School in Washington, D.C.. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from Tulane University in 1977. He later received a Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Austin in 1979. His upbringing was deeply influenced by the political career of his father, who served as CIA Director, Vice President, and ultimately President.

Business career

His business career began in the oil and gas sector, working for Bush Exploration and later Amoco in Denver, Colorado. In 1983, he joined the board of Denver-based Silverado Savings and Loan, a position that later became a central focus of a major financial scandal. Following the Silverado scandal, he worked in various international business ventures, including consulting roles related to the energy industry in Asia. He co-founded Ignite! Learning, an educational software company, and served as its chairman. He has also been involved with Apex Energy and has held positions with companies operating in China and the Middle East.

Personal life

He was first married to Sharon Bush in 1980; they had three children before divorcing in 2003. In 2004, he married Maria Andrews, a former White House staffer during the administration of his brother, George W. Bush. The ceremony was held at the Bush family compound in Kennebunkport, Maine. He has been open about his diagnosis with dyslexia, which he discovered in adulthood, and has since become an advocate for individuals with learning disabilities. His mother, Barbara Bush, was a noted advocate for family literacy.

Philanthropy and public service

He is the chairman and a founding board member of the Points of Light Institute, a non-profit organization inspired by the volunteerism ethos promoted by his father, George H. W. Bush. He has served on the board of the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy, honoring his mother's legacy. He has also been involved with the World Golf Hall of Fame and has participated in various charitable initiatives through the Bush family network. His philanthropic work often focuses on education, community service, and supporting military families.

Controversies

His tenure as a director of Silverado Savings and Loan was investigated by the Office of Thrift Supervision during the late 1980s Savings and loan crisis. The federal agency found he had engaged in numerous conflicts of interest, leading to a civil settlement and a lifetime ban from the savings and loan industry without admitting guilt. His business dealings in the 1990s and 2000s, particularly with Ignite! Learning and its contracts with several public school districts, including the Houston Independent School District, were also scrutinized for potential influence stemming from his family's political connections. These controversies have been frequently cited in media profiles of the Bush family.

Category:American businesspeople Category:Bush family Category:1955 births Category:Living people