Joel Smilow

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Joel E. Smilow is an American businessman and philanthropist best known as a former CEO of Playtex. He was born in Washington, D.C., and graduated from Yale University in 1954, where he was the sports director for the campus radio station WYBC and supported Yale football. He earned an MBA from Harvard Business School and served in the Navy.

As an executive at Esmark/Beatrice, Smilow bought Playtex in the late 1980s. He kept Playtex and sold Max Factor to Ron Perelman of Revlon. He led Playtex through four big buyouts using borrowed money between 1985 and 1988, earning about $186 million. He spun off Playtex Apparel, the bra business, so the company could focus on tampons and baby bottles. He retired in 1992 and stepped down as chairman in 1995. He was Daniel Boulud's sole partner for his first restaurant, Daniel, which opened in 1993 with a $2 million investment.

Smilow is a major donor to Yale athletics. He funded Yale's first endowment for the football head coach in 1989, and in 2003 endowed head coaches for men's basketball, women's basketball, and women's lacrosse. He also supported the Lapham Field House, now the Smilow Field Center. He received the Yale Medal in 1992 for his service to Yale.

Smilow is the lead donor and namesake of the Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven Hospital, the hospital’s largest donation. NYU School of Medicine opened the Joan and Joel Smilow Research Center in May 2006. He is the Boys and Girls Clubs' largest living donor and led donations for a Bridgeport location. He has also supported charter schools, including a network in Washington, D.C., and expansions of Achievement First schools in New Haven.