Carl J. Shapiro (February 15, 1913 – March 7, 2021) was an American businessman and philanthropist. In 1939 he founded Kay Windsor, Inc. in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and built it into one of the largest women's clothing companies in the country. He was its president and chairman of the board and was director of VF Corporation, which acquired Kay Windsor in 1971; he retired five years later.

In 1961 The Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family Foundation was established. It supports community-based nonprofits focused on improving the lives of the disabled, disadvantaged, and disenfranchised. Its support has bolstered the work of about 65 organizations working in areas such as youth arts, adult education, domestic violence, and assistive technology for persons with disabilities. In December 2008, the Foundation lost about $145 million in Bernard Madoff’s Ponzi scheme.

Shapiro and his wife, Ruth became Brandeis University benefactors in 1950. Ruth joined the University's National Women's Committee in 1948. Carl served as a Brandeis Fellow from 1977–79, and as a Trustee from 1979 to 1988, when he became a Trustee emeritus. They gave $25 million, the largest gift in Brandeis history, to build the 2003 Carl and Ruth Shapiro Campus Center; they funded the admissions center and endowed a chair in international finance held by Peter Petri, dean of the International Business School (formerly the Graduate School of International Economics and Finance). The Shapiros also funded the Carl and Ruth Shapiro Center for Library Technology and Journals in the Farber Library on campus. In January 2003 Shapiro received Brandeis' highest honor, an honorary degree, citing an "unshakable commitment to making the world a better place".

Shapiro founded the Carl J. Shapiro Institute for Education and Research ^{[citation needed]} at Harvard Medical School, Boston Medical Center, and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. In 2005 the Shapiros donated $25 million to Brigham and Women's Hospital, for the world's most advanced cardiovascular care facility, the Carl J. and Ruth Shapiro Cardiovascular Center, designed to support one of the world’s leading teams of cardiovascular experts. In 2008 they also pledged $27 million to Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center to substantially upgrade and expand its facilities for cancer care services. Other recipients of The Shapiro's contributions include; Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Wellesley College, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, the Norton Museum of Art, and the Palm Beach Opera, among other institutions.

Shapiro and his foundation reportedly lost some $550 million from dealings with Bernie Madoff, who received $250 million around December 1, 2008 from Shapiro, then one of Madoff's oldest friends and one of his biggest financial backers. Shapiro's and his son-in-law Robert M. Jaffe's accounts with Madoff were managed by Paul J. Konigsberg, a senior tax partner at Konigsberg Wolf & Company in New York City. Konigsberg has been criminally indicted for working closely with Madoff to phony up investment records for Konigsberg's large clients to achieve targeted gains and tax losses.

Regulators are looking into a brokerage firm, Cohmad Securities (taken from the names "Cohn" and "Madoff"), which is largely owned by Maurice Cohn and his daughter Marcia, President and Chief Compliance Officer, with whom Madoff shared 10–20 percent ownership stakes, and Madoff's firm's address in New York City. Peter Madoff, brother of Bernard, owned less than one share. Cohmad vice president Robert Jaffe's ownership of Cohmad was less than 5 percent.

Jaffe "worked the Palm Beach, Florida circuit, and attracted many Palm Beach Country Club members as investors". Jaffe claimed he had received a commission of 1% to 2% from an investor's first profit after he guided their money to Madoff. Jaffe paid commissions to financial advisers who steered cash to Madoff's fund.

On January 14, 2009 William Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, who is in charge of the state's securities issues, filed suit against Jaffe, who promoted Madoff's funds to wealthy investors in Massachusetts and Florida. On February 4, compelled to testify, Jaffe invoked his Fifth Amendment right. On February 11, 2009, Galvin filed a complaint seeking to revoke the Massachusetts license of Cohmad Securities Corp., an accounting of all Massachusetts investors Cohmad referred to Madoff’s company, all the fees it earned doing so (more than $67 million), and a fine.^{[citation needed]}