Lucille Roberts
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lucille Roberts was an American businesswoman and entrepreneur who founded the *Lucille Roberts chain of health clubs. A self-proclaimed "exercise nut", she turned turned her passion for working out into a health club empire worth $30 million (at the time of her death).
Born in what is now Tajikistan on December 7, 1943 to a Sephardic Jewish family, she and her family immigrated to the United States. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard Business School.
In 1969 she and her husband opened a spa in midtown Manhattan. Her goal was to offer affordable exercise facilities geared towards women. Roberts eventually opened gyms in 50 other locations.
The gyms have been the subject of a number of investigations for their practice of deliberately making it difficult for women to end their membership once they have signed up.[1]
Roberts also wrote and published the books, Computercise and The Lucille Roberts 14 Day Makeover.
Roberts died from lung cancer on July 17, 2003, aged 59. She was survived by her husband and children.
