Ken Frazier
Born 1954 · Age 71
American business executive, long-time Merck & Co. leader (general counsel, president, CEO, executive chairman); led Merck through Vioxx litigation; first African American man to lead a major pharmaceutical company; active board member, philanthropist, and public figure.
Compare Your Trajectory
See how your career milestones stack up against Ken Frazier and other industry leaders.
Life & Career Timeline
Born in North Philadelphia
Kenneth Carleton Frazier is born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Otis and Clara Frazier.
Mother's death
Frazier's mother, Clara Elizabeth Frazier, dies; he is raised thereafter primarily by his father.
High school graduation and college entry
Graduated high school (attended Julia R. Masterman School and Northeast High) and entered Pennsylvania State University at about age 16.
Raised and sold tadpoles/newts during college
As a Penn State student he raised tadpoles and newts and sold them to local stores to earn extra money.
Earned B.A. from Pennsylvania State University
Graduated from Penn State with a B.A. (political science/history referenced in interviews).
Enrolled at Harvard Law School
Matriculated at Harvard Law School after Penn State graduation.
Received J.D. from Harvard Law School
Graduated from Harvard Law School with a Juris Doctor degree.
Joined Drinker Biddle & Reath
Started his legal career at the Philadelphia law firm Drinker Biddle & Reath (later became partner there).
Accepted pro bono death-row case (Cochran)
At the request of the Death Penalty Representation Project, Frazier agreed to represent James Willie 'Bo' Cochran on death-row (pro bono).
Joined Merck & Co. as a corporate attorney
Left Drinker Biddle & Reath to join Merck's public affairs division as general counsel (vice president, general counsel, and secretary of the Astra Merck group per timeline).
Named Vice President of Public Affairs at Merck
Took on the role of vice president of public affairs (per Merck/Penn State timeline of roles).
Cochran conviction overturned by appeals court
United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit overturned Cochran's conviction after 19 years on death row; Frazier continued representation.
Co-founded Cornerstone Christian Academy (approx.)
Co‑founder and trustee of Cornerstone Christian Academy, a private charter school serving at‑risk youth in Philadelphia (year not specified in sources; approximate entry).
Added responsibilities: assistant general counsel, corporate staff
Assumed additional responsibilities in 1997 as assistant general counsel, corporate staff at Merck.
Cochran retrial leads to acquittal
James Willie 'Bo' Cochran was retried and found not guilty in 1997; Frazier continued representation even after leaving private practice.
Established Penn State scholarship with wife
Kenneth and Andréa Frazier established a scholarship in the liberal arts at Penn State for students who contribute to campus diversity (year cited as 1999).
Promoted to Vice President & Deputy General Counsel (Jan 1999)
Promoted within Merck to vice president and deputy general counsel.
Became Senior Vice President and General Counsel (Dec 1999)
Assumed position overseeing Merck's legal and public affairs functions and The Merck Company Foundation.
Penn State Alumni Fellow Award
Received the Penn State Alumni Fellow Award, a prestigious alumni recognition.
Penn State Distinguished Alumni Award
Received Penn State's Distinguished Alumni Award (highest honor the University bestows).
Association of Corporate Counsel Excellence in Corporate Practice Award
Received the ACC's Excellence in Corporate Practice Award (listed in biographies; year cited in HistoryMakers).
Merck faces Vioxx litigation (liability estimate)
During Frazier's tenure as general counsel Merck faced thousands of suits over Vioxx; analysts estimated potential liability at $20–50 billion.
Promoted to Executive Vice President & General Counsel
Promoted in November 2006 to executive vice president while continuing as general counsel.
Vioxx litigation settled for $4.85 billion
Remaining cases relating to Vioxx were settled in 2007 for approximately $4.85 billion after litigation strategy he directed.
Named head of Human Health business group
Took leadership of Merck's largest group, Human Health, in 2007 (led through 2010 before becoming president).
Joined ExxonMobil board of directors
Appointed to the board of ExxonMobil (serving from 2009 until 2022).
Elected to Penn State Board of Trustees
Became a member of the Penn State Board of Trustees (served as trustee and active supporter of the university).
Equal Justice Initiative Equal Justice Champion Award
Received the Equal Justice Initiative's Equal Justice Champion award (recognition for legal/public service).
Elected by Merck Board as next CEO
Board elected Kenneth Frazier as the next CEO of Merck (date cited in BlackPast/Wikipedia timelines as May 1, 2010).
Named President of Merck
Promoted to President of Merck (May 2010 in multiple timelines), overseeing global human health operations prior to CEO appointment.
Assumed role as Merck CEO and board member
Officially became President and Chief Executive Officer of Merck & Co.; first African-American man to lead a major pharmaceutical company.
Joined PhRMA board (service 2011–2021)
Served on the board of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) from 2011 to 2021.
Chair of Penn State Sandusky investigation
Penn State Board of Trustees appointed Frazier to chair the special committee investigating the Jerry Sandusky child sex‑abuse scandal.
Interviewed by The HistoryMakers
Recorded an extensive oral history interview with The HistoryMakers (digital archive interview date).
Public dispute and apology related to Freeh report criticisms
As Penn State trustee Frazier responded forcefully to criticism of the Freeh Report and later apologized for his outburst (March 2013).
Keynote at American Law Institute Annual Dinner
Delivered the keynote speech at the ALI Annual Dinner (May 2013).
Ranked among highest paid biopharma CEOs
Listed in Equilar/New York Times collaborative lists and ranked among biopharma executives with highest total compensation (2015/2014 reporting context).
Total compensation reported for 2014
Merck reported total compensation for Kenneth Frazier of $21,387,205 for 2014.
Total compensation reported for 2015
Merck reported total compensation for Kenneth Frazier of $17,023,820 for 2015.
Total compensation reported for 2016
Merck reported total compensation for Kenneth Frazier of $21,781,200 for 2016.
Sold 60,000 shares of Merck stock
Sold 60,000 shares at an average price of $64.44 per share (July 2016 reported transaction).
Pension valuation disclosed
As of December 31, 2016, Frazier was eligible for early retirement subsidies with a pension valued at $26,593,261.
Reported Merck stock holdings
Reported ownership of 600,304 shares of Merck stock worth approximately $37,000,000 (reported Feb 26, 2017).
Resigned from President's American Manufacturing Council
Resigned from President Trump's American Manufacturing Council citing objection to administration's response to Charlottesville violence.
Named one of Fortune's World's Greatest Leaders
Recognized by Fortune magazine as one of the World's Greatest Leaders (2018).
Sold significant Merck shares (2018–2020)
Reported sales across 2018, 2019 and 2020: 787,792 shares (2018), 694,698 shares (2019), and 280,000 shares (2020); combined proceeds reported around $110.23 million at time of sale (aggregate reporting).
Elected to the American Philosophical Society
Elected as a member of the American Philosophical Society (2018).
Harvard Law School Association Award
Received the Harvard Law School Association Award (2018) for extraordinary service to the legal profession and public.
Named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People
Included in Time magazine's list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World (2018).
Co‑founded OneTen (co‑chair)
Named Co-Founder and Co-Chair of OneTen, a coalition to upskill and hire one million Black Americans—UCLA bio lists him as co-founder/co-chair (OneTen public launch occurred in 2018).
Member of American Academy of Arts and Sciences and other professional societies
Listed as member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, American Philosophical Society, American Law Institute council and Fellow of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia (various honorary/leadership roles).
Forbes Lifetime Achievement Award for Healthcare
Became the first recipient of Forbes' Lifetime Achievement Award for Healthcare (2019).
CNBC Interview on George Floyd and racial injustice
Spoke on CNBC Squawk Box about racial tensions after George Floyd's murder, noting 'it could have been me'.
Donated $5 million to Jefferson Health and Temple partnership
Kenneth and Andréa Frazier donated $5 million to Jefferson Health to support a stroke initiative targeting African‑American communities (reported Aug 2020).
Named again to Time's 100 Most Influential People
Included in Time's list of most influential people in 2021 (second Time recognition mentioned).
Columbia Business School Deming Cup & Chief Executive CEO of the Year
Received the Deming Cup for Operational Excellence (Columbia Business School) and was named Chief Executive magazine's CEO of the Year in 2021.
Announced retirement as Merck President & CEO
Merck announced Frazier would retire as president and CEO at the end of June 2021, while remaining executive chairman.
Became Executive Chairman of Merck's Board
Transitioned to Executive Chairman of Merck's board of directors following retirement as CEO (role began July 2021).
Stepped down from ExxonMobil board
Ended service on the ExxonMobil board (served 2009–2022).
Elected to Eikon Therapeutics Board
Eikon Therapeutics announced Kenneth C. Frazier's election to its board of directors (BusinessWire, March 31, 2022).
Key Achievement Ages
Explore what Ken Frazier and others achieved at these notable ages:
Similar Trajectories
John Katzman
Born 1959 · Age 66
American education technology entrepreneur; founder of The Princeton Review, 2U, and Noodle; author and long-time edtech investor and board member.
Satoru Iwata
Born 1959 · Age 66
Japanese video game programmer, producer and businessman; 4th president of Nintendo (2002–2015). Led Nintendo through the DS/Wii era and championed 'blue ocean' strategies and quality-of-life initiatives.
Dan Gillmor
Born 1959 · Age 66
American technology writer, columnist, author and educator known for pioneering journalism blogging, founding citizen-journalism projects, authoring We the Media, and directing digital media initiatives at Arizona State University.
Ira Glass
Born 1959 · Age 66
American public radio personality; host and creator of This American Life; influential editor/producer in narrative audio journalism.
Mary Meeker
Born 1959 · Age 66
American venture capitalist and former Wall Street securities analyst; founder and general partner of BOND (Bond Capital). Known for annual Internet Trends reports and investments in major tech companies.
Brian Roberts
Born 1959 · Age 66
American businessman and billionaire; chairman and CEO of Comcast; son of Comcast founder Ralph J. Roberts. Led Comcast through major acquisitions and expansion into broadband, media and international markets; active philanthropist and industry leader.