Armie Hammer’s father, Michael Armand Hamer, passed away on Sunday. Details on the business magnate’s passing are unclear, but the news was reported by TMZ and later confirmed by Entertainment Tonight. Sources close to the family said that Michael was sick with cancer for a long time.
Michael Armand Hammer was 67 years old at the time of his death this weekend. He inherited about $40 million from his grandfather, Armand Hammer as well as some of his most prominent business interests. For years he was best known for his involvement in Occidental Petroleum, but in recent years the personal lives of Armand, Michael and Armie have all become matters of public interest. Michael was discussed in this year’s documentary series House of Hammer extensively.
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Michael was born in Los Angeles, California in September of 1955, and followed his grandfather into the industrial business from an early age. After earning a master’s degree in business from Columbia University in 1982, he began working full-time as an investment banker in the New York City stock exchange in various positions. At the same time, he took on a few different roles in Occidental Petroleum thanks to his family connections. He soon stepped up his responsibilities there, serving as a vice president, a member of the board of directors and a member of the executive committee.
Michael left Occidental Petroleum in 1991 shortly after the death of his grandfather. After that, he worked in several other companies in the early 2000s. It’s not clear if or when he officially retired, if ever.
Michael Hammer married Dru Ann Mobley in 1985, converting to her Christian faith and patronizing several Evangelical Christian organizations with her. Their elder son, the former actor Armie Hammer, was born in 1986 while their younger son Viktor Hammer was born in 1988. Michael and Dru divorced in 2012 after 27 years of marriage. Michael married Misty Millward in 2017.
These days, public perception of Michael is influenced by the three-part documentary House of Hammer on Discovery+. It features Michael’s sister Casey Hammer in interviews and as a producer. It focuses on the Hammer family’s history building up to the sexual violence rumors that apparently ended Armie Hammer’s acting career in 2021.
Since he was publicly accused of manipulating, abusing and permanently scarring several past girlfriends, Armie has been largely absent from Hollywood and from public life in general. A source close to him recently told ET that his day-to-day life has not changed much since the documentary aired. They confirmed that he is not dating and is not in a hurry to return to the spotlight. House of Hammer is streaming now on Discovery+.
