Meet the billionaire doctors behind Regeneron, the pharmaceutical company that developed Trump's experimental COVID-19 treatment

Taylor Nicole RogersOct 6, 2020, 23:53 IST

Regeneron billionaires Leonard Schleifer and George Yancopoulos.Victor Hugo/Patrick McMullan; Victor Hugo/Patrick McMullan; Taylor Nicole Rogers/Business Insider

Leonard Schleifer and George Yancopoulos, the billionaire doctors behind Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, are worth nearly $4 billion combined.
President Trump took a high dose of the experimental 'antibody cocktail' that Regeneron is developing to treat his case of COVID-19.
Even before he took the drug, the president was friendly with Schleifer.
Yancopoulos told The New York Times that the president's request to take the antibody cocktail left him 'conflicted.'
Schleifer handles the business end of Regeneron's operations, while Yancopoulos heads up the medical research needed to develop the company's products.

The antibody cocktail that President Trump took to fight his case of COVID-19 was the brainchild of a pair of billionaire doctors.

Leonard Schleifer and George Yancopoulos, the leaders of the pharmaceutical giant Regeneron, built a multibillion-dollar company with a reputation for producing drugs at a breakneck pace and built fortunes that rival the president's in the process.

Representatives of Schleifer and Yancopoulos at Regeneron did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment on the billionaires' personal histories, net worths, or careers at Regeneron.

Keep reading to learn more about Regeneron billionaires Leonard Schleifer and George Yancopoulos.

Regeneron CEO Leonard Schleifer, 68, is a neurologist by trade.

Leonard Schleifer, founder and chief executive of the biotechnology company Regeneron, in an interview on March 9, 2015. Adam Jeffery/CNBC/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

President George Yancopoulos, 61, leads Regeneron's research and development efforts.

Dr. George Yancopoulos in 2018. Amber De Vos/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

Regeneron was initially Schleifer's idea.

Mark Neuling/CNBC/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

Regeneron has grown rapidly thanks to its unique development process.

Regeneron CSO George Yancopoulos Regeneron

The doctors reportedly have a close partnership.

George Yancopoulos and Andrew Tsai. Amber De Vos/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

Schleifer also has a relationship with President Trump.

President Donald Trump plays golf at Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Va., as seen from the other side of the Potomac River in Darnestown, MD, Saturday, July 18, 2020. Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

As the COVID-19 pandemic escalated, Regeneron began work on an experimental treatment for the new virus.

Regeneron scientists celebrate a successful laboratory experiment in the hunt to develop a COVID-19 treatment. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals

President Trump was among the first people to take the experimental treatment.

A COVID-positive Trump waves from his motorcade outside of Walter Reed. Reuters

Yancopoulos told The New York Times that the president's request left him "conflicted."

James Simons and George Yancopoulos in 2017. Paul Bruinooge/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

Regeneron's success has already made its founders extremely wealthy and their COVID treatment stands to make them even richer.

Leonard Schleifer in 2016. Victor Hugo/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

Schleifer already lives a life of luxury.

Martha's Vineyard. Schleifer's home not pictured. Alinn Mihai/Shutterstock

Yancopoulos, on the other hand, reportedly spends his free time planning pranks and watching 'Gossip Girl' with his kids.

George Yancopoulos, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Co-Founder, President and Chief Scientific Officer, poses for a photograph on the company's Westchester campus in Tarrytown, New York, September 17, 2020. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

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