kaiser was born on july 29, 1942 in tulsa, oklahoma. he attended central high school in tulsa. he earned a ba from harvard college in 1964 and an mba from the harvard business school in 1966. he briefly considered joining the u.s. foreign service, but instead returned to tulsa in 1966 to work for his father. kaiser-francis oil co. was created in the 1940s by kaiser's uncle and parents, jewish refugees from nazi germany who settled in oklahoma.