Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Photo courtesy Business WireSam Penrod reporting
He carried the distinction of Utah's richest man, but tonight James LeVoy Sorenson is being remembered for his contributions to the community. He died this morning at age 86.
Sorenson was well known for showing up on the Forbes list of the wealthiest people in the country, and in recent years Sorenson has topped the list in Utah. His worth last year was estimated to be $4.5 billion.
Sorenson was a billionaire, the result of his many successes as an entrepreneur. Despite declining health, he was still working at his office as recently as last month.
In recent years, he's given away millions of dollars to charitable causes. Some of it was well publicized, but close friends say much of it was not.
Sorenson was a pioneer in the modern medical field. You can walk into any hospital in the world and see medical equipment which he helped develop. "He was just a talented guy and was always thinking. His mantra was finding the better way. We'll miss Jim. He's been a good friend," said Gary Pehrson, vice president of Intermountain Healthcare.
Sorenson started out as a salesman but created a business empire of several companies in the medical field, communications and real estate. One of his latest pursuits was in genetics, which he envisioned could improve people's lives around the world. "Using DNA to identify who we are, where we come from, and who we belong to; and we're going to find a brotherhood," Sorenson explained in a 2003 interview with KSL's Bruce Lindsay.
Sorenson gave millions of his billions away. "Well, as I reach this stage of life, things change. Money is not what I'm about. I'm about trying to help people, and it just so happened, in the process, I found a way to make money, I guess," Sorenson told Lindsay.
Eighteen months ago, Sorenson made an anonymous million dollar donation to fill a gap from federal cuts to Medicaid to benefit Utah's poor. News of the gift eventually became public. "I would like to stand by the governor and his desire to help those who have less and need more. Let's both help the poor and the youth," Sorenson said in 2006.
The Sorenson Multi Cultural Center, which benefits the less fortunate, is named in his honor. He was also a major contributor to the brand new Intermountain Medical Center, one of many buildings in the community which bears his name. "It is prominently displayed in several places, but I think his legacy is that he did more behind the scenes than he did out in the public eye to help his fellow man," Pehrson said.
James Sorenson is survived by his wife, Beverly, and their eight children. Funeral arrangements are still being worked out.
