Known in international circles as “Lenin’s chosen capitalist” and “The Doctor” by his employees, Armand Hammer was not only one of the richest men on his time, but arguably the greatest diplomat the US has ever produced…despite never holding any official position.
A pioneer of so-called “citizen diplomacy” long before Robert W. Fuller came along, Hammer had a strong relationship with both US presidents and Soviet Premiers stretching the entire Cold War and helped to pull the world back from nuclear Armageddon more times than anyone else.
If his name seems familiar, it might be because actor Armie Hammer is his great-grandson, not that it has anything to do with Armand’s diplomatic efforts.