Louis V. Gerstner

Gerstner was born in Mineola, New York, on March 1, 1942. He wrote in Who Says Elephants Can't Dance? that his parents had remortgaged their house every four years to pay for schooling. He went to Chaminade High School, a Catholic school, and then to Dartmouth College for an undergraduate degree in engineering science. He received an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. Fresh out of Harvard, he joined McKinsey & Company at the age of 23, became a partner at 28 and a senior partner at 31.

Gerstner was married to Robin Gerstner, née Link. He had two children, the neuro-oncologist Elizabeth Gerstner and Louis Gerstner III, who died in 2013.

Prior to his death, Gerstner lived in Hobe Sound, Florida. He died in Jupiter, Florida, on December 27, 2025, at the age of 83.

Gerstner established the Gerstner Family Foundation in 1989 and was the chairman. The Gerstner Family Foundation, and other Gerstner charitable vehicles (together "Gerstner Philanthropies"), provide support to not-for-profit organizations in four primary program areas: biomedical research, education, environment, and Helping Hands. In addition to these four program areas, the organization will choose additional areas to focus on from time to time. As of 2025, supporting emergency food programs through regional food banks and food pantries has become a priority as the number of Americans who are food insecure has increased. Gerstner Philanthropies has made over $300 million in grants.

Gerstner Philanthropies has invested over $180 million in Biomedical research programs that support cancer and genomic research, as well as fellowships for early-career researchers working to make advances in medicine that can be translated into the clinic. Over 200 researchers have been named as Gerstner Scholars.

Grantmaking in Environmental research aims to address climate change by reducing methane emissions from livestock, and developing solutions to reduce plastic pollution.

In Education, the foundation has directly supported over 1,600 students through scholarship grants. By funding organizations that support college access programs, innovative school models, and emergency cash assistance initiatives, funds have benefited thousands of additional students.

The Helping Hands program has helped over 22,000 families and individuals with one-time financial emergencies. By providing one-time grants to those experiencing financial hardship, Helping Hands prevents families from losing stability and entering the shelter system. The majority of grants are for eviction prevention. These grants are administered by partner organizations who focus on alleviating poverty and providing holistic support to their clients. In June 2023, Gerstner published an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal, highlighting the impact of the Foundation's Helping Hands program and its approach to preventing homelessness.