George Bruce Kaiser is an American billionaire businessman, the Chairman of BOK Financial Corporation (NASDAQ: BOKF) and former CEO of Kaiser-Francis Oil Company. Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1942, his family were Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany who settled in Oklahoma and founded the Kaiser-Francis Oil Co. in the 1940s.

Kaiser received an elite education, earning a B.A. from Harvard College in 1964 and an MBA from the Harvard Business School in 1966. After considering a career in the U.S. Foreign Service, he returned to Tulsa to work for his father. His career is defined by his profound philanthropic commitment (spending half his time on charity) and his strategic management of his oil and banking assets.

George Kaiser took control of Kaiser-Francis Oil Company in 1969 after his father suffered a heart attack. Under his stewardship, the little-known oil prospecting and drilling company grew into the 23rd largest nonpublic energy exploration company in the U.S. by 2010. His success in energy provided the necessary capital for his move into finance.

His structural financial move was the acquisition of BOK Financial Corporation, one of Oklahoma's largest financial institutions, where he serves as Chairman. Kaiser is one of the top American philanthropists, famously signing The Giving Pledge and founding the George Kaiser Family Foundation (GKFF), dedicated to fighting childhood poverty and promoting early childhood education. His wealth is secured by the long-term, stable returns of his oil and banking assets, and his mastery of strategic, tax-efficient investment.

George Kaiser is one of the world's most significant philanthropists, being a signatory of The Giving Pledge and devoting nearly half his time to charity. His structural social impact is massive: the GKFF focuses intensely on early childhood education and healthcare for the disadvantaged in Tulsa, a model that has garnered national attention (funding the School of Community Medicine at the University of Oklahoma).

His structural contribution is tied to BOK Financial's role in providing essential financial services and stimulating economic growth across the region. His career provides a profound example of leveraging colossal wealth for social change.

George Kaiser maintains the modest, highly intellectual style of an entrepreneur-philanthropist. His attire is consistently professional and conservative, reflecting his aversion to ostentation and his focus on work (typically working 70 hours a week). His aesthetic is one of serious, intellectual focus.

Residing between Tulsa, Oklahoma, and San Francisco, California, his luxury is the immense security and autonomy derived from his multi-billion dollar fortune. His life is dedicated to strategic business management and his deep, structural commitment to fighting childhood poverty.