DETROIT – Longtime Detroit businessman, and owner of the Ambassador Bridge, Manuel “Matty” Moroun, has died at 93, according to his family.
Matthew, his son, said his father passed away peacefully, at home, of congestive heart failure.
Moroun also owned the old Michigan Central Station in Detroit’s Corktown from 1995 until 2018, when Ford Motor Company purchased the historic building.
Moroun was a sometimes controversial figure in Detroit, even spending time in jail back in 2012 after being held in contempt of court.
The Moroun family, which has stakes in other transportation businesses, has a net worth of more than $1 billion, according to Forbes.
Moroun is survived by his wife and his son, Matthew Moroun.
“The Detroit Regional Chamber extends its condolences to the family and friends of Manuel ‘Matty’ Moroun – especially to his son Matt and wife Nora who are so engaged in our community. Matty Moroun was a self-made success story. Born of immigrant parents in Detroit, he rose from a young man working at a neighborhood gas station to graduating from the University of Notre Dame and creating a billion dollar company. With his passing, we celebrate his life and the family he built in Detroit,” said Sandy K. Baruah, president and CEO of the Detroit Regional Chamber.