Elliot Handler daughter, Barbara, who was the namesake of Barbie dolls; and a son, Kenneth (who died of a brain tumor in 1994) who was the namesake of Ken dolls. While a struggling art student and designer of light fixtures, Handler partnered with Harold Matson to design a realistic-looking miniature piano that received roughly 300,000 orders; however, they mispriced the product and lost a dime on each one produced. Mattel received its name from business partners Harold Matt Matson and Elliot Handler in 1945. Elliot's wife, Ruth, took Matson's role when the Handlers bought his share in the late 1940's. Ruth Handler
Brad Handler announced it had acquired nearly 2,000 club members. The company has also been active philanthropically, helping raise over $1.5 million, as of August 2012, for nonprofit organizations, schools and hospitals across the country by providing vacation homes for auction at fundraising events. In addition to his entrepreneurial pursuits, Handler is a lecturer at Stanford Law School and the University of Virginia School of Law. He is a board member of New Moon Girls magazine. He is also an active angel investor and is credited with numerous patents. Handler is a contributor to Forbes.com. Brad Handler Brad Handler (born July 19,