William Lever, 1st Viscount Leverhulme who came to resent 'manufacturing pictures for the market'). The painting was previously owned by his competitor, A & F Pears, who used paintings such as "Bubbles" by John Everett Millais to promote its products. Much of Leverhulme's art collection is displayed in the gallery which houses one of the finest formed by an industrialist in England. A.N. Wilson from the Mail Online, January 2010, remarked, "The altruism of Leverhulme or the Cadbury family are in sad contrast to the antisocial attitude of modern business magnates, who think only of profit and the shareholder." William Lever made the celebrated observation
Lever House project included the addition of marble benches and an Isamu Noguchi sculpture garden to the building's plaza – elements in the original plans for the building which were never realized. In 2003, Lever House Restaurant became the first business to operate as a restaurant at Lever House and later won "New York Magazine"'s Best Service award in 2004. Lever House Restaurant closed in early 2009. As of October 2009, restaurant Casa Lever occupies the former Lever House Restaurant space. Aluminum producer Alcoa is headquartered in Lever House. As of 2005, the building's tenants included Thomas Weisel Partners LLC, which maintains