About Stanford > Sir Allen Stanford
Sir Allen Stanford
As Chairman of the privately held, wholly owned Stanford Financial Group of companies, Sir Allen Stanford, a fifth-generation Texan, heads a global wealth management and financial services organization with offices across North America, Latin America, Europe and the Caribbean. Stanford companies presently serve clients from 140 countries on six continents with assets under management or advisement of $50 billion. His grandfather, Lodis, founded the first Stanford Company during the midst of the Great Depression in 1932, in the small central-Texas town of Mexia. His philosophy of hard work, clear vision and value for the client remains the cornerstone of Stanford’s success today.
Sir Allen began his business career in Houston, Texas, making his first fortune in real estate in the early 1980s. Since then he has expanded the insurance and real estate company his grandfather founded into a global wealth management firm. For more than 20 years, Sir Allen has been one of the world’s leading investors in developing economies. He recently launched a US$2 billion investment fund earmarked for upscale development projects in the Caribbean. He is a significant supporter and contributor to the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) and the Inter-American Economic Council (IAEC), through which the Organization of American States and private enterprise team address critical development and disaster needs in the Caribbean and Latin America. He was honored in 2006 with the IAEC “Excellence in Leadership Award” at the headquarters of the Organization of American States in Washington, D.C.
Sir Allen supports charitable, cultural, educational, social and sporting events and organizations throughout the world, and recently designated St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for children with cancer and its International Outreach Program in Latin America as Stanford’s corporate “charity of choice.” His companies have established a significant presence in golf, polo, tennis, cricket and sailing, the same sports that resonate with Stanford’s high net worth client base. Stanford Financial Group is the title sponsor for such sporting events as the Stanford US Open Polo Championship, the Stanford USPA Silver Cup, the Stanford Antigua Sailing Week, the PGA TOUR Stanford St. Jude Championship, and the Stanford International Pro-Am. Stanford also sponsors professional golfers Vijay Singh, Camilio Villegas and David Toms as well as Morgan Pressel on the LPGA Tour. Sir Allen is a firm believer in realizing the potential of sports as a tool for sustainable development, as they promote participation, inclusion and citizenship, which serve to highlight commonalities and bridge cultural or ethnic divides. His Stanford 20/20 Cricket Tournaments are reigniting West Indies passion for cricket, uniting the region, generating considerable profit for local businesses and reaching a wide international T.V. audience. Following this example, all Stanford companies strive to become active supporters of significant and meaningful causes in the countries and communities they serve.
Sir Allen earned a Bachelor of Arts in Finance from Baylor University in 1974. He resides in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands, and holds dual citizenship, having become a citizen of Antigua and Barbuda ten years ago. He is the first American to be knighted by that British Commonwealth nation and was appointed Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of the Nation. He was presented this honor by His Royal Highness Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, at the country's Silver Jubilee Celebration in November 2006.