Theodore Levitt (March 1, 1925 – June 28, 2006) was a German-born American economist and a professor at the Harvard Business School.
In 1983, he proposed a definition for corporate purpose: "Rather than merely making money, it is to create and keep a customer".
He served in World War II, received his high school diploma through correspondence school and then earned a bachelor's degree at Antioch College, a college founded by the Christian Connection, and a PhD in economics at the Ohio State University.
Nonetheless, Levitt can be credited with popularizing the term and bringing to a mainstream business audience.
He was also the author of numerous articles on economic, political, management, and marketing subjects.