Ron Simon
FOUNDER, CHAIRMAN
RSI EQUITY PARTNERS
THE MONEY: Built and sold three successful businesses, including RSI Home Products, which he sold in 2017 for $1.1B to Winchester, Virginia-based American Woodmark Corp. Later entered homebuilding with RSI Communities, growing the company to own and control more than 11K home lots in California and Texas within its first three years. Was sold in 2018 for $500M to William Lyon Homes.
HISTORY: Born during the Great Depression in Los Angeles to a Russian mother and an English cabinet-making father. Turned his father’s business, Perma-Bilt, into the nation’s largest manufacturer of bathroom medicine cabinets. In 1987, sold Perma-Bilt and started RSI Home, which became the largest manufacturer of cultured marble countertops, bathroom vanities and medicine cabinets in the world.
WORKFORCE HOUSING: RSI Dream Communities, a nonprofit founded by Simon and his wife Sandi, has committed $60M over the past year to address OC’s healthcare workforce housing shortage. The two major gifts include $30M to Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian to fund housing stipends and $30M to City of Hope Orange County. The nonprofit focuses on creating affordable housing for “local heroes,” such as nurses, teachers and first responders.
PHILANTHROPY: Simon Scholars program has awarded more than $100M in financial support to high school, college and graduate students since 2003. In 2024, the program funded equivalent to 10 full-tuition scholarships for students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Has also given multi million dollar gifts to support Chapman University’s Simon Scholar Physician Assistant Program. As part of the program, students commit to working in OC for three years following graduation. Sandi has also donated to school of dance.
QUOTABLE: “My word is my most cherished possession. When I tell someone I’m going to do something, I do it. I don’t define success by how much money I have. For me, success is how respected you are by your family, friends, and business associates.”