Who was Herb Kohl, former Milwaukee Bucks owner? Taking a closer look at beloved former US senator's life

Herbert Kohl, the former owner of the Milwaukee Bucks, died Wednesday at the age of 88 due to a brief illness. Kohl was also a former U.S. Senator, who served from Jan. 3, 1989, to Jan. 3, 2013. He also served as Chair of the Senate Aging Committee from 2007 until 2013.

Kohl was born on Feb. 7, 1935, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He grew up in the city and became the wealthiest man in Milwaukee. He was also the richest Jewish American from Wisconsin and one of the wealthiest U.S. senators.

He was the son of Mary and Max. His father was a Polish Jew while his mother was a Russian Jewish immigrant. Kohl studied business for his master's at Harvard Business School in 1958. He was roommates with former MLB commissioner Bud Selig as an undergraduate.

He was also a member of the United States Army Reserve from 1958–1964.

Kohl pursued a career in real estate and the stock market. From there, he created his own company, Kohl Investments. His company was used to manage the assets that he's gained over the years of doing business. He was named the president of Kohl's, the famed American department store retail chain until it was sold to BATUS Inc. in 1978.

His political career started in 1975 when he was named chairman of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin.

In 1985, he purchased the Bucks from Jim Fitzgerald for $18 million. This was because of his desire for the team to stay in the city of Milwaukee. When the Bucks won the title in 2021, he was the key figure of the lead car during the organization's title parade. Herb Kohl was given his championship ring at their 2021-22 season opener.

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What is Herb Kohl's net worth?

Throughout his career as a businessman, Herb Kohl gained wealth through the various businesses he and his family owned. Together with his brother, they co-owned a family-owned chain that included 50 grocery stores, many department stores, pharmacies and liquor stores.

According to sources, Kohl has a net worth of $400 million. This made him one of the richest people in Congress. One of the key aspects of his wealth came from what the Bucks generated over the years under his ownership. He sold the Bucks in 2014 for $550 million to billionaires Wes Edens and Marc Lasry.

The Bucks have a net worth of $3.2 billion currently. Herb Kohl's dedication helped the city keep its team.