Alexander Y. Malcomson

Alexander Y. Malcomson was a coal dealer from Detroit, Michigan who bankrolled Henry Fords first successful foray into automobile manufacturing the Ford Motor Company.

Alexander Young Malcomson was born June 7, 1865, in Dalry, Ayrshire, Scotland and emigrated to Detroit at the age of 15, coming over with his widower father and staying with his uncle Joseph and family. He immediately began working in a grocery store, then went into business for himself after purchasing a small grocery. He soon switched to dealing in coal, eventually buying out several competitors and emerging as a major dealer, owning six coal yards by 1902. In addition to his coal yards, Malcomson invested in a variety of projects outside of the coal business. In 1895, Malcomson hired a young clerk, James Couzens , to work at his firm.

Source: Wikipedia