Harold Robbins (May 21, 1916 – October 14, 1997) was an American author of popular novels. One of the best-selling writers of all time, he penned over 25 best-sellers, selling over 750 million copies in 32 languages.
Born Harold Rubin in New York City, Robbins later claimed to be a Jewish orphan who had been raised in a Catholic boys’ home,[1] whereas in reality he was the son of well-educated Russian- and Polish-Jewish immigrants.[2] He was raised by his father, who was a pharmacist, and his stepmother, in Brooklyn.[3]