NEW YORK, July 12 (UPI) -- Laurance S. Rockefeller, grandson of John D. Rockefeller who became a philanthropist and shrewd investor, has died in Manhattan at age 94.
He had an estimated net worth of $1.5 billion when he died Sunday of pulmonary fibrosis, Forbes.com reported Monday.
Rockefeller helped launch Eastern Airlines and was an early investor in Apple Computer and Intel, among other companies.
In 1991, he was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for his efforts to combat cancer and preserve the environment.
Rockefeller established the American Conservation Association and was chairman of the New York Zoological Society. He also served as chairman of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
"His compassion for his fellow man was palpable," his brother David said in a statement.
Rockefeller was one of six children of John D. Rockefeller Jr., the son of the man who founded the Standard Oil fortune. Among Laurance's brothers, Nelson served as governor of New York and Winthrop was governor of Arkansas, while David headed the Chase Manhattan Bank. Laurance's death leaves David as the only surviving sibling.
Rockefeller's wife, Mary, died in 1997. He is survived by four children, including U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va.; eight grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren.
