Leo Kahn (entrepreneur)

Leo Kahn (born August 18, 1894, in Steinach, Bavaria, Germany; died October 24, 1988, in Boston, Massachusetts, USA) was a German-American entrepreneur and businessman best known as the co-founder of Staples, Inc., a leading office supply retail chain.

Kahn immigrated to the United States from Germany in 1938, escaping Nazi persecution. He had been involved in the paper business in Germany.

In 1985, at the age of 91, Kahn partnered with Thomas G. Stemberg to establish Staples. The concept for Staples arose from Stemberg's own frustration with the lack of readily available and affordable office supplies. Kahn provided crucial financial backing and business expertise, leveraging his prior experience in the paper industry to help establish the supply chain and logistics for the new company. He served as a director of Staples during its early years. His contribution was vital in turning the initial idea into a successful business.

Kahn's age at the time of Staples' founding made him a notable figure in the entrepreneurial world, demonstrating that significant business ventures can be launched even later in life. His life represents a story of perseverance, adaptation, and success following displacement and hardship.