Gerard Philips

Dutch industrialist and co-founder, with his father Frederik Philips, of the Philips electrical company as a family business in 1891. In 1912, Gerard and his younger brother Anton Philips converted the business to a corporation by founding NV Philips' Gloeilampenfabrieken. Today Philips is a Dutch multinational conglomerate corporation focused on the area of health technology, having divested its other divisions.

Gerard Philips was born to a Dutch family of Jewish heritage, his father Benjamin Frederik David Philips was a first cousin to Karl Marx (Gerard's paternal grandmother Sophie Pressburg was a sister of Henriette Pressburg, the mother of Karl Marx). His mother was Maria Heyligers. His grandfather was tobacco merchant Lion Philips.

Gerard Philips became interested in electronics and engineering. His father Frederik financed Gerard's purchase of the old factory building in Eindhoven where he established the first factory in 1891. With his brother he came up with a plan: cost effective, reliable incandescent light bulbs. They initially operated the Philips Company as a family business, with Gerard's younger brother Anton and Anton's son Frits Philips and son-in-law Frans Otten later brought into the business.

On 19 March 1896, Philips married Johanna van der Willigen (30 September 1862 – 1942). They had no children. He died in The Hague on 25 January 1942 at the age of 83.