Michael Amin

Michael Amin is the founder and CEO of Primex World Inc. Since the company’s inception, Michael has built a diverse portfolio with holdings that range from pistachio orchards and other types of agricultural real estate to private equities of all kinds.

Michael’s success story began in 1976, when at the age of 17, he came to the United States to attend school, first at Pepperdine University and later at Cal State Northridge, where he graduated with a BA in Business.

While still attending college, he managed his family’s apartment community, eventiually converting them into condominiums. After earning his business degree, he embraced his entrepreneurial instincts and started his first company, a rapid film development store called QuickPix One-Hour Photo. The store was among the very first of its kind, and Michael’s long-term aim was to franchise it. However, the market quickly became saturated with similar businesses. Reading the writing on the wall, he pivoted, creating two different businesses; Top Attorneys Directory and Primex Talking Yellow Pages.

In 1988, he started his first pistachio farm, following in his family’s footsteps and becoming a 4th-generation pistachio farmer. Not long after, he established Primex World Inc., making himself CEO of the company.

As the years passed and Michael Amin became more successful in the private sector, his thoughts turned to charity. In 2002, he founded the nonprofit Maximum Difference Foundation (MDF). One of MDF’s main focuses is to use advertising to motivate parents to educate themselves in the art and science of good parenting, laying the groundwork for stronger families and a better, happier, and more cohesive society.

The foundation also operates in a number of other sectors, some of which are healthcare, education, criminal reform, social justice, and the humanitarian and environmental fields. Maximum Difference Foundation’s list of nonprofit partners is extensive, and includes such respected organizations as Amnesty International, Doctors without Borders, H20MA, The Innocence Project, Umma Relief, IAMA (Iranian American Medical Association), National MS Society, PACI (Persian American Cancer Institute), Vibrant America, Omid Foundation, APSIH (Association of Professors & Scholars of Iranian Heritage), Human Rights Watch, Jewish Voices for Peace, Middle East Children Alliance, and American Near East Refugee Aid. MDF also uses its resources to provide vocational education for people experiencing homelessness.

When not working with Primex World Inc. or managing MDF, Michael Amin also devotes his time to the Farhang Foundation, which is an organization dedicated to promoting and celebrating Iranian art and culture. He serves on the organization’s Board of Trustees. He also serves on the Board of Trustees for Vasht, an entity that seeks to preserve and celebrate the cultures of ancient civilizations.

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