Jon Huntsman Sr., a billionaire businessman, philanthropist

SALT LAKE CITY» Utah billionaire and philanthropist Jon Huntsman Sr. has died.

Huntsman’s assistant Pam Bailey confirmed he died Friday in Salt Lake City. He was 80.

Bailey declined to name a cause of death.

Huntsman was the founder and longtime executive chairman of Huntsman Corp., a $13 billion company that refines raw materials that go into thousands of products.

He also founded the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City.

Huntsman had nine children, including Jon Huntsman Jr., the U.S. ambassador to Russia and a former Utah governor and presidential candidate. The elder Huntsman served as a special assistant to President Richard Nixon and was a major force in Utah and national politics.

Mitt Romney, former Republican presidential candidate, said: “With Jon Huntsman’s passing, we lose a Lion of Utah. Jon raised an extraordinary family, built one of America’s most prominent corporations, and contributed hundreds of millions of dollars to heal the sick, provide relief to the injured, and bring hope to future generations. From providing care and employment to people in earthquake-ravaged Armenia to building libraries of learning here at home, Jon was relentlessly devoted to helping others. Jon Huntsman’s greatest legacy will be as a healer of men.”