Marvin Davis Obituary

Oilman Marvin Davis died Saturday at his Beverly Hills home. He was 79. The Los Angeles Times pubished his obit in Sunday's edition.

"The wealthiest individual in Los Angeles for much of the last two decades, Davis was recently estimated by Forbes magazine to be worth $5.8 billion.

Although his fortune was built in the dusty oil fields of Colorado, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Wyoming and Texas, where he was known as "Mr. Wildcatter," Davis was inexorably linked to Hollywood. He even had his own table at Spago in Beverly Hills, where he was a regular...

At various times, the Davis portfolio included such high-profile properties in Southern California as Santa Monica's Water Garden and the 34-story Fox Plaza in Century City. The Fox Plaza was built by Davis, housed President Reagan's offices after he left the White House and became famous for its use in the action film "Die Hard."

Davis was close friends with such celebrities as actor Sidney Poitier and the late Frank Sinatra, as well as with such prominent figures as former President Ford and former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. Davis and his wife, Barbara, organized some of Hollywood's glitziest A-list philanthropic events, raising tens of millions of dollars over the years for charities," including the high-profile biennial "Carousel of Hope" fundraiser in Beverly Hills.

No "Die Hard" jokes, we promise.