Sir Martin Ellis Franklin, KGCN (born 31 October 1964) is a British American, Miami-based businessman.
[5][8] After leaving college, Franklin worked for N M Rothschild & Sons in Manhattan, where he became the youngest vice president in the U.S. firm's history.
[5] Roland Franklin retired from active business in 1991, leaving Martin and Ian Ashken to oversee the final DRG asset sales.
[13] Starting in 2006, Franklin founded a series of Special Purpose Acquisition Companies, initially with Nicolas Berggruen, but also including William Ackman.
The SPACS enabled companies such as GLG, Prisa, Phoenix Life, Burger King, and Macdermid Specialty chemicals to go public.
[7] Franklin co-founded Justice Holdings, a shell company on the London Stock Exchange which invested in Burger King.
[14] As of 2019, Franklin continues to serve on the Board of directors of Restaurant Brands International, which owns Burger King and Tim Hortons, and Element Solutions Inc.(formerly Platform Specialty Products).
[21] In June 2018, Platform Specialty announced that it had agreed to sell its Agricultural Solutions business, Arysta LifeScience, to UPL Corporation Ltd. For US$4.2 billion.
[35] Franklin has supported a number of charities including the Challenged Athletes Foundation and Wounded Warrior Project.
[38] Additionally, he has completed multiple marathons, 100 mile ultramarathons, and triathlons, including the Ironman Championships in Hawaii in 2003,[39] 2005 (in 10 hours and 55 minutes)[40] and 2017.
He also led a team of Jarden employees to compete in the Tri-State Tough Mudder, an endurance obstacle course event that has raised more than $5 million for the Wounded Warrior Project.