American business executive whose holdings in Reebok stock put him on the Forbes 400 list in 1986 at a net worth of $270 million. A year later, his worth was up to $450 million. He gives millions to charities and had set up a foundation for inner-city scholarships nationwide.
President of Reebok International Ltd, Fireman nudged the company to multimillion dollar sales, putting shoes into the fast lane. Since going public July 1985, the stock has risen 650%. With great creative vision, he inspires the same progressive direction in others.
Pudgy, convivial, he married his high school sweetheart Phyllis; three kids. He plays golf and tennis, loves deep-sea fishing and maintains an exercise regimen. He ran a family sporting goods wholesale business for 18 years before joining Reebok in 1979. Now, when denied membership to a country club near his New England home, instead of fighting the decision that may have been made because he is Jewish – he bought his own country club.
His company hit a dead zone in the late ’90s until Fireman revitalized it with a touch of attitude. By 2001, he had signed such top sports figures as NBA champ Allen Iverson and Venus Williams, sponsored two seasons of TV’s “Survivor” and closed a deal with the NFL to be its exclusive supplier of uniforms and sideline apparel. He topped his own game with a ten-year contract to outfit the entire NBA. With Nike holding 36% of the $11 billion sneaker market, Reebok is coming up fast from their present 11%. Paul and his wife Phyllis have about 20% of Reebok but have more than a stock interest; his strategy is to push innovation plus sharp, provocative design. On the cutting edge, he’s even added a computer chip to his shoes that measure running speed and jumping height.