Kids & Family

Shacknai Moves On With Success in Business and a Salute to His Boy

The Arizona resident, who called the Spreckels mansion his summer home for a time, continues to run a thriving company, while backing a foundation to honor his late son.

Editor's note: One year ago . Public fascination continued for weeks afterward, peaking in September , not crimes. This week, Patch revisits the deaths of Rebecca Zahau and Max Shacknai in pieces about , an  and , who continue to maintain she did not kill herself. 

 

Update 9:45 a.m. Friday: ABC15.com in Arizona reports that Phoenix magazine will feature an article on Dina Shacknai in its August issue, in which she discusses her questions about the case, her last moments with Max and rules she had agreed to with the boy's father over his supervision.

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Jonah Shacknai has said little about the loss of his son and girlfriend last summer, outside of offering statements through spokespeople and briefly  a month after the deaths at the Spreckels mansion.

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He took a more proactive stance last month, , launching a foundation, MaxinMotion, to honor the boy, who suffered head injuries in a fall July 11, 2011.

Max, who is called “our inspiration” on the organization's website, died five days later.

The foundation will offer grants to youth groups in Arizona, where Shacknai and his surviving children reside full-time, to fund sports activities for youngsters from families that can't afford them.

In a statement on the MaxinMotion website, Shacknai said the effort will give underprivileged children “opportunities to participate in organized sports to learn important life skills such as teamwork, commitment and the value of health and fitness. We believe it will create a long-lasting community impact.”

Shacknai, through a spokesman, declined Patch's request for further comment.

The pharmaceuticals mogul, who founded Medicis (NYSE:MRX), which specializes in skincare and aesthetic treatments, has seen success in the months since he suffered such tragedy.

The Phoenix Business Journal reported details of his compensation, ranking him third among Phoenix's top paid CEOs, with a package worth more than $19 million. He was granted a $1 million bonus this year, on top of his $1.18 million salary. 

His firm's stock price, which closed up at 34.59 Thursday, has hovered between 29.76 and 40.51 for the year. 

Dina Shacknai, Max's mother and Jonah's ex-wife, has waited until recently to comment on the case; an article is set for next month's issue of Phoenix magazine. Her sister, Nina Romano, .

The twins raised money in Max's name over Mother's Day, to benefit an organization that helps families suffering from a child's death.

Dina Shacknai's attorney did not return a call seeking comment.

 

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