Background and career
Herbert A. Wertheim (born May 23, 1939) is an American optometrist, inventor, billionaire businessman, and philanthropist. He is the founder and president of Brain Power Incorporated (BPI). Wertheim developed ultraviolet (UV) light-absorbing dyes for plastic ophthalmic lenses during the late 1960s. His work contributed to the widespread adoption of UV-protective eyeglass lenses and led to the founding of Brain Power Incorporated in 1970. He and his then wife co-founded the Dr. Herbert and Nicole Wertheim Family Foundation in 1977. Wertheim serves as the Founding Chairman of the FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, as advisor to The Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences at Florida International University, and as honorary chairman of The Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering at the University of Florida. As of June 2026, his net worth is estimated at US$4.6 billion.
Founding Chairman, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University. Trustee Emeritus, Florida International University. Honorary Chairman, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, University of Florida. Founder and chairman, Brain Power Incorporated (BPI). Chairman, Dr. Herbert and Nicole Wertheim Family Foundation. Chairman, Global Foundation for Oceanographic and Atmospheric Research.
Following major philanthropic gifts, several academic institutions, healthcare organizations, and research centers have been named in honor of Wertheim, including:
Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University. Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, University of Florida. Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California, San Diego. Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry & Vision Science, University of California, Berkeley. Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology, University of Florida. Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing & Health Sciences, Florida International University. Herbert and Nicole School of Music and the Performing Arts, Florida International University. Herbert Wertheim College of Business, Florida State University. Baptist Health Herbert Wertheim Cancer Institute, Baptist Health South Florida.
Wertheim was born on May 23, 1939, in Philadelphia to Jewish parents. His father immigrated from Europe in 1907, while his mother was born in Brooklyn. In 1945, he and his family moved to Miami Beach, Florida. They later moved to an apartment above the family's bakery. He was diagnosed with dyslexia. At age 16, he faced a judge on truancy charges before enlisting in the United States Navy and being stationed in San Diego. He studied physics and chemistry in the Navy before working in naval aviation. It was here that he made his first investment, buying stock in the aviation company Learjet. Wertheim is a graduate of Brevard Community College (now Eastern Florida State College). He studied electrical engineering at the University of Florida for a year, before receiving his B.S. in optical engineering and a Doctor of Optometry from the Southern College of Optometry. He has nine patents.
In May 2026, Wertheim donated $100 million to Baptist Health South Florida, the largest single philanthropic gift in the organization's history. In recognition of the gift, Baptist Health Miami Cancer Institute was renamed the Baptist Health Herbert Wertheim Cancer Institute, and the Herbert Wertheim Cancer Institute Transformational Impact Fund was established to support cancer care, research, prevention, education, and clinical innovation. A major component of the gift supports Baptist Health's academic partnership with the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine at Florida International University (FIU). The funding is intended to expand physician training, graduate medical education, cancer research, and collaboration between clinicians, researchers, and medical students while supporting Baptist Health's efforts to obtain designation as a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer center. The donation builds upon the expanded academic affiliation established between Baptist Health and FIU in 2023. Under the partnership, Baptist Health serves as FIU's principal academic health system, supporting undergraduate and graduate medical education, physician residency and fellowship programs, clinical research, and the development of a new academic medical center on FIU's main campus.
