Question 1

True or false: Schleifer named Regeneron after a type of dinosaur fossil he collected.

Accepted Answer

False. The name 'Regeneron' is a blend of 'regenerate' and 'neuron,' reflecting the company's focus on nerve repair, not fossils.

Question 2

True or false: He co-founded Regeneron with a single $50,000 investment from a family friend.

Accepted Answer

True. In 1988, Schleifer and scientist George Yancopoulos started Regeneron with just $50,000 from a friend’s father, later growing it into a biotech giant.

Question 3

True or false: Leonard Schleifer was a Olympic gold medalist before founding Regeneron.

Accepted Answer

False. Schleifer was a neurologist and PhD, not an Olympian. He co-founded Regeneron in 1988 with his former professor.

Question 4

True or false: He earned both an MD and a PhD from Cornell University Medical College.

Accepted Answer

True. Schleifer received his MD and PhD in pharmacology at Cornell, then trained in neurology at Weill Cornell.

Question 5

True or false: His first major discovery was the gene for the protein that causes Alzheimer’s disease.

Accepted Answer

False. Schleifer’s early work focused on neurotransmitter receptors, not Alzheimer’s genes. Regeneron’s first big success was with the VEGF Trap (Eylea).

Question 6

True or false: He once turned down a $1 billion acquisition offer from a major pharma company.

Accepted Answer

True. In the early 1990s, Schleifer rejected a $1 billion buyout from Amgen, betting on Regeneron’s long-term potential.

Question 7

True or false: Schleifer is a licensed commercial pilot and flies himself to business meetings.

Accepted Answer

True. He earned his pilot’s license and often flies a small plane to Regeneron’s facilities, surprising colleagues with his hands-on approach.

Question 8

True or false: Leonard Schleifer was a college roommate of future U.S. President Joe Biden.

Accepted Answer

False. Schleifer attended Cornell and the University of Virginia for med school—no record of rooming with Biden, who went to University of Delaware.

Leonard Schleifer Trivia Questions