Karl Christian Friedrich Pfizer (March 22, 1824 –October 19, 1906), known as Charles Pfizer, was a German-American businessman and chemist who co-founded the Pfizer pharmaceutical company with his cousin, Charles F. Erhart, in 1849, as Chas. Pfizer & Co. Inc.
Life and family
He was born Karl Christian Friedrich[1][2] to Karl Frederick Pfizer and Caroline Klotz. Like his older cousin, future business partner and brother-in-law, Karl Erhart, Pfizer was born in Ludwigsburg, Kingdom of Württemberg (now Germany).[3] During his early years, he worked as an apothecary's apprentice. He emigrated to the United States in October 1848.[4]
Pfizer married Anna Hausch, in 1859, in his hometown of Ludwigsburg. He met Hausch during one of his trips to Europe to establish contacts with exporters of raw materials.