In 1971, when Dadeland Mall clung to the far reaches of civilization on not yet commercialized Kendall Drive, optometrist Sanford Ziff had a vision: “How about sunglasses?”
And so was born Sunglass Hut of America as a kiosk in the middle of Dadeland Mall. The company grew to 550 boutiques around the world and had $100 million in sales when Ziff, who built Sunglass Hut with his first wife, Helene, sold 75 percent of the business in 1987 for $35 million. He sold the remaining 25 percent in 1991.
Ziff, who died Friday at 91 from complications of a stroke, used the proceeds to become, along with his second and third wives, the late Dolores Ziff and his widow, Beatrice, one of South Florida’s premier philanthropists. His name and those of the respective wives adorn numerous buildings thanks to their donations to universities, homeless shelters, Jewish centers and arts organizations.
To read more, go to the Miami Herald.
