Mitchell Wolfson Jr.
President and Chairman
Miami Connection
Wolfson founded The Wolfsonian-FIU in Miami Beach's Art Deco District, donating 200,000 objects and historic buildings like 1001 Washington Avenue, turning it into a major museum and research center that draws visitors and scholars. His efforts preserve material culture from 1850-1950, fostering education and cultural exchange as a trustee for family foundations supporting South Florida education, health, and sites like Audubon House in Key West. As a lifelong Miami Beach resident and philanthropist, he has shaped the city's identity as a hub for art, design, and history.
About
Born in 1939 in Miami Beach to Mitchell Wolfson Sr., founder of Wometco Enterprises and Miami Beach's first Jewish mayor, and Frances Cohen, Micky Wolfson Jr. began collecting art and artifacts as a child. He inherited wealth from the 1984 sale of Wometco, receiving $84.5 million, which fueled his passions. In 1986, he established The Wolfsonian Foundation in Miami Beach, publishing The Journal of Decorative and Propaganda Arts and amassing over 200,000 objects from the Industrial Revolution era. In 1997, he donated his collection and historic buildings to Florida International University, creating The Wolfsonian-FIU, the fourth-largest university art collection in the U.S. and Florida's largest single gift. He also founded the Wolfsoniana museum in Genoa, Italy, and co-authored Miami Beach: Blueprint of an Eden. Wolfson holds a master’s in international relations from Johns Hopkins and divides time between Miami, Paris, and Genoa.