Charles Pfizer


Karl Gustav Pfizer, known as Charles Pfizer, was a German-American chemist who founded the Pfizer pharmaceutical company with his cousin Charles F. Erhart in 1849 as Charles Pfizer & Co.

Life and career

Pfizer was born in Ludwigsburg, Kingdom of Württemberg to Karl Frederick Pfizer and Caroline and emigrated to the United States in October 1848. The next year, he borrowed $2,500 from his father to buy a building in Williamsburg, Brooklyn where they produced santonin, used to expel parasitic worms, and expanded into other chemicals.
Pfizer married Anna Hausch in 1859 in his hometown of Ludwigsburg. They had six children, five of whom survived to adulthood: Ann, Charles Jr, Gustavus, Emile, Helen Julia, and Alice.
Pfizer's partner, cousin, and brother-in-law Charles F. Erhart died in 1891, and their partnership agreement stipulated that the surviving partner could buy the other's share of the company for half its inventory value. Pfizer promptly exercised this option, paying his partner's heirs $119,350 for Erhart's half of the business. He remained as the head of the company until 1900, when it was incorporated and Charles Pfizer, Jr. became its first president. When Charles Jr. retired, his brother Emil succeeded him.
Pfizer died at his summer home "Lindgate" in Newport, Rhode Island; his year-round home was in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. His death came a few weeks after a fall down stairs in which he broke an arm and was otherwise badly injured.