S. Daniel Abraham

Sim Daniel Abraham
Born	(1924-08-15) 15 August 1924 Long Beach, New York, U.S.
Died	29 June 2025(2025-06-29) (aged 100) New York City, New York, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, investor, philanthropist
Known for	Founder of Thompson Medical and SlimFast

Sim Daniel Abraham (August 15, 1924 – June 29, 2025) was a prominent American entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist. He established Thompson Medical, the company behind the well-known SlimFast weight loss program, and contributed generously to organizations dedicated to Middle Eastern peace initiatives, nutrition science, and higher education.

By October 2018, his net worth was estimated at $2.1 billion.

Early life

Born on August 15, 1924, to Stella K. and Samuel Abraham, Abraham grew up in an Orthodox Jewish family in Long Beach, New York. His father was a devoted Zionist influenced by Ze'ev Jabotinsky. During his teenage years, Abraham produced a newsletter alerting Americans to the dangers posed by the Nazis. He served with the United States Army in Europe throughout World War II. In 1970, he relocated with his family to Israel, where he witnessed the events of the 1973 Yom Kippur War before returning to the United States in 1978.

Career

Abraham was the founder of Thompson Medical, which introduced the SlimFast diet brand in the late 1970s. He took the company private in 1988; later, in 2000, Unilever purchased Slim-Fast for $2.3 billion. As of October 2016, his net worth was approximated at US$2.1 billion.

He wrote Peace Is Possible, featuring a foreword by President Bill Clinton, and released his autobiography in 2010 titled Everything is Possible: Life and Business Lessons from a Self-Made Billionaire and the Founder of Slim Fast.

Philanthropy

Abraham established the S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace located in Washington, D.C., utilizing his personal connections with leaders across the United States, Israel, and the Middle East to advance peace efforts for over twenty years. He was also a principal supporter of the Washington-based United States Institute of Peace.

His philanthropic contributions include funding the S. Daniel Abraham Chair in Middle East Policy Studies at Princeton University and a Chair in Nutritional Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Additionally, he founded the S. Daniel Abraham Center for International and Regional Studies at Tel Aviv University, financed the Dan Abraham School for Business Administration and Economics at Bar-Ilan University, and supported initiatives at both Yeshiva University and Stern College for Women. He received honorary doctorates from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Bar-Ilan University, and Yeshiva University. His gift to the Mayo Clinic led to the creation of the Dan Abraham Healthy Living Center, which opened in 2007 amid widespread media coverage. The Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls was named in honor of his mother.

Abraham was also a founding member of the New Synagogue of Palm Beach.

Political contributions

Abraham played a major role as a donor to the Democratic Party and the Clinton Foundation, contributing $1.5 million and ranking as the leading soft money donor to national parties in 2000. He provided $3 million to Priorities USA Action, a super PAC supporting Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential bid. In 2020, he donated $5 million to Democratic-aligned super PACs such as American Bridge 21st Century, House Majority PAC, and Senate Majority PAC.

Personal life and death

Abraham was previously married to Estanne Weiner, with whom he had four daughters: Rebecca, Simmi, Leah, and Tammy. He made his home in Palm Beach, Florida. At the time of his passing, he was wed to Ewa Sebzda, and together they had two children, Sarah and Sam.

He passed away at the age of 100 on June 29, 2025, in a hospital located in New York City.