American businessman and philanthropist Armand Hammer , well known to the Soviet Union for his financial pursuits and humanitarian ties , left Los Angeles for Armenia on board a Boeing 727 loaded with 2,300 pounds of medical supplies that were provided by the American Red Cross . Hammer , known for his decades of work with the Occidental Petroleum Corporation , had spoken with Gorbachev prior to leaving and was carrying with him $ 1 million in relief funds . Half of those funds were from World Vision International , a California-based relief and development umbrella organization , and the other half were his own personal donation . The flight also carried Robert Seiple ( president of World Vision ) and a UCLA doctor who had worked in the aftermath of the 1985 Mexico City earthquake
1985 Mexico City earthquake
1985 Mexico City earthquake
1988 Armenian earthquake