Founder Profile
Donald Fisher
Last reviewed: October 2026 · By Swet Parvadiya
Who is Donald Fisher?
Donald Fisher is a founder of Gap, Inc., which was founded in 1969 with Doris F. Fisher.
- Company founded
- Gap, Inc.
- Founded
- 1969
- Co-founders
- Doris F. Fisher
Background
Donald Fisher was a San Francisco real estate developer who opened the first Gap store in 1969 after struggling to find Levi's jeans in his size. He led the company's expansion and later its shift to private-label clothing.
Founding Story
Donald Fisher co-founded Gap with his wife Doris in 1969, opening a store on Ocean Avenue in San Francisco that sold Levi's jeans and records. The name referred to the 'generation gap'. Fisher led the company through its 1976 IPO and its growth into a national chain, recruited Mickey Drexler in the 1980s, and remained involved as chairman for decades. He died in 2009.
Donald Fisher was born in 1928. Education: University of California, Berkeley; Haas School of Business.