David Green (entrepreneur)

David Green
Born	(1941-11-13) November 13, 1941 Altus, Oklahoma, U.S.
Occupation	Entrepreneur
Known for	Founder of Hobby Lobby, major donor to Evangelical groups, key funder of Museum of the Bible
Notable work	Giving It All Away...And Getting It All Back Again

David Green (born November 13, 1941) is an American entrepreneur and the creator of Hobby Lobby, a nationwide chain specializing in arts and crafts merchandise. He is a prominent financial benefactor of Evangelical groups within the United States and played a key role in funding the Museum of the Bible located in Washington, D.C..

Career

While working as a manager for the variety store chain TG&Y in 1970, Green borrowed $600 to launch a home-based venture assembling and marketing miniature picture frames alongside partner Larry Pico. Their company, Greco Products, capitalized on a popular decorating trend and provided employment opportunities for individuals with cerebral palsy in its modest workshop. By August 1972, Green redirected his efforts toward arts and crafts retail, inaugurating a 300-square-foot Hobby Lobby store in northwest Oklahoma City. After departing TG&Y in 1975, he expanded the business by opening a second Hobby Lobby location featuring 6,000 square feet.

In 2017, Green co-wrote Giving It All Away...And Getting It All Back Again, which advocates for tithing as a means to secure divine protection and highlights its influence across generations, reflecting elements associated with prosperity theology.

Personal life

Raised in Altus, Oklahoma, Green's father was a Christian minister. All five of his siblings are either pastors or married to pastors. He attributes his business achievements to adherence to biblical values and ranks among the largest individual contributors to Evangelical ministries in the U.S., dedicating half of Hobby Lobby's pretax profits to such causes. By 2012, his philanthropic contributions had reached nearly $500 million.

Green took a public stance against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act requirement mandating coverage for the "morning-after pill", successfully challenging the federal government through Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., which resulted in overturning this mandate.

He lives in southwest Oklahoma City with his wife Barbara and jointly owns Hobby Lobby with their three children. Their eldest son, Mart Green, established Mardel Christian & Education bookstore as well as Every Tribe Entertainment. Steve Green holds the position of Hobby Lobby president and is both founder and principal financier of the Museum of the Bible, as well as patron of the Green Collection. Daughter Darsee Lett serves as Creative Director for Hobby Lobby stores.

Museum of the Bible

Green invested $500 million to establish the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. In 2017, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement returned approximately 3,800 ancient artifacts from Hobby Lobby's storage facility to Iraq; this was followed by an additional repatriation of around 11,500 items to Egypt and Iraq in 2020. Some papyrus fragments initially presented as part of the Dead Sea Scrolls were subsequently exposed as counterfeit.

In July 2020, Forbes disclosed that the museum obtained between $2 million and $5 million from the Paycheck Protection Program to maintain employment for 249 staff members, with estimated average yearly wages ranging from $38,000 to $97,000. Representatives from the museum explained that securing this PPP funding was essential for compensating employees during closures caused by COVID-19.