Burns (born July 12, 1936) is an American entrepreneur, attorney and philanthropist.
A leader in the Irish-American community, Burns is a distinguished collector of Irish art.
In December 2016, Maggie Haberman of The New York Times reported that then president-elect Donald Trump intended to name Burns as the next United States Ambassador to Ireland.
However, in June 2017, Burns withdrew his name from consideration, due to ill health.