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
Richard B. Handler 2012, Handler and Chairman of the Jefferies Executive Committee Brian Friedman formed the Jefferies Global Senior Advisory Board, which now includes James D. Robinson III, Lord Hollick, Michael Goldstein, Bernard Bourigeaud, Dennis Archer, Sir David Reid, Gilles Pélisson, and G. Richard Wagoner. In August 2012, Handler played a lead role in saving Knight Capital Group after they suffered a $440 million loss due to a 'technology glitch.' Together with Brian Friedman, Handler structured and led the rescue, which included making Jefferies the largest shareholder with an investment of $125 million. In November 2011, ratings company Egan-Jones issued a negative report