Utah billionaire and philanthropist Jon Huntsman Sr. has died.

Huntsman's assistant Pam Bailey confirmed he died Friday in Salt Lake City. He was 80.

Bailey declined to name a cause of death.

Huntsman was the founder and longtime executive chairman of Huntsman Corp., an $11 billion company that refines raw materials that go into thousands of products.

He also founded the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City.

The research center is dedicated to finding a cure through human genetics.

Huntsman had nine children, including Jon Huntsman Jr., the U.S. ambassador to Russia and a former Utah governor and presidential candidate.

The elder Huntsman served as a special assistant to President Richard Nixon and was a major force in Utah and national politics.