ST. LOUIS — Michael Neidorff, the longtime leader of Clayton-based insurance company Centene, died at the age of 79 Thursday, a statement from his family said.
Neidorff joined Centene as CEO in 1996 and helped the company grow from a $40 million, single-health plan to a $125 billion company with 25 million customers.
"Michael was Centene Corporation’s visionary leader for more than 25 years," the statement said. "He built a remarkable American business success story and his commitment to providing affordable, high-quality health care to the most vulnerable people transformed lives across the globe."
Centene is ranked No. 24 in the Fortune 500, No. 57 in the Fortune 500 Global list, and No. 7 on the 2019 Fortune Change the World list.
As the company grew, both Neidorff and Centene became philanthropic leaders in St. Louis and across the country. He was awarded the St. Louis Post Dispatch's Citizen of the Year in 2017 for leading a $30 million investment in the city of Ferguson following the unrest of 2014.
Neidorff served as chairman of the board of trustees for the National Urban League, served on the board of directors for the Greater St. Louis Boy Scouts of America and on the board of Concordance Academy. He also served on the board of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, as a trustee for the Opera Theatre of St. Louis, and as Treasurer of the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees.
Memorial donations in his name can be sent to the Siteman Cancer Center, the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, the Jewish Federation of St. Louis, or a charity of your choice, the family's statement said.