Benjamin Leon was born in Oriente, Cuba in 1944,[1] and in 1961, he migrated to Miami, Florida.[1][5] He is of Spanish-Canarian descent through his great grandparents who were from the Canary Islands that settled in Cuba.[6] Leon's father founded Clinica Cuba in 1964 in order to help meet the healthcare needs of newly immigrated Cubans.[1] Leon and his father Leon Sr. also founded Clínica Asociación Cubana (CAC), one of the first health maintenance organizations in the United States.[7] In 1994, Leon sold CAC to UnitedHealthCare for $500 million.[7] In 1996, Leon founded Leon Medical Centers, which provides healthcare to Medicare patients.[8] Leon Medical Centers is currently led by Leon's son, Benjamin Leon III, who serves as the company's CEO.[9]
In 2015, Leon donated $2.5 million to the presidential campaign of Marco Rubio.[11] Leon has also donated to the Republican Party of Kentucky and Mitch McConnell.[12]
In 2025, Leon was one of the donors who funded the White House's East Wing demolition, and planned building of a ballroom.[13]
