95-Year-Old CEO Gives Away Millions to Colorado Charities

Jake Jabs, the 95-year-old CEO of American Furniture Warehouse, has donated more than $1 million to charities across Colorado in the past year. Jabs purchased the then-bankrupt furniture company for $80,000 in 1975 and built it into a privately held business with 18 locations across Colorado, Arizona, and Texas, generating approximately $858 million in revenue in 2025. His philanthropic efforts focus on organizations that help people escape poverty, reflecting his own upbringing. Jabs's recent awards include the American Red Cross Heroism Award and the Volunteers of America Good Samaritan Award, honors typically given to first responders or everyday citizens for extraordinary acts of courage and compassion. He emphasizes the importance of donating to effective organizations, supporting a range of causes including disaster relief, hospitals, veterans' services, disability support, food banks, and global health initiatives. Jabs is also a long-term supporter of CBS Colorado's Wednesday's Child program, which aims to find homes for children in foster care. His most significant philanthropic contribution to date was an unrestricted $25 million gift to Montana State University in 2011, underscoring his commitment to education.