If you love road trips or drive a truck for a living, you should be familiar with Pilot Flying J., the truck stop company with more than 750 locations in 44 states and six Canadian provinces. It is headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, and has over 28,000 employees. Pilot Flying J is the 10th largest privately held company in the United States, the leading fuel supplier, and the largest operator of travel centers in North America.
Jimmy Haslam is Chairman of Pilot Flying J's Board and the richest person in Knoxville, Tennessee. His net worth exceeds $5 billion, making him the 42nd richest person in the country.
Who is Jimmy Haslam?
Jimmy Haslam is an American business owner and sports executive. He is the Chairman of the Pilot Flying J's board and the owner of the Cleveland Browns (NFL) and Columbus Crew Soccer Club (MLS).
He graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1976 and began his career at Pilot Corporation. He became vice president of sales, development, and operations four years later. Under his leadership, the company expanded from 100 convenience stores with about 125 million gallons of annual fuel sales to more than 750 stores and 11 billion gallons per year.
He bought Cleveland Brown for more than $1 billion.
In 2010, Pilot Travel Centers LLC merged with Flying J Inc. and expanded its offering to include food, maintenance services, and rest facilities. This brilliant success motivated Warren Buffett to invest $2.8 billion for 39% of Pilot to acquire another 41% by 2023. In addition, Jimmy Haslam and his wife, Dee, purchased Cleveland Browns in 2012 for more than $1 Billion. He also bought Columbus Crew Soccer Club in 2019.
At the end of 2020, Jimmy Haslam relinquished his title as CEO and focused his effort on his sports team and civic engagement.
The Haslam family is very generous with their money.
The Haslam family donated $35 million to Knoxville's Lakeshore Park to improve soccer fields, baseball fields, and other amenities outlined in the park's master plan. In addition, Jimmy Haslam donated more than $100,000, and Pilot Travel Centers LLC donated $300,000 to Trump's inaugural committee.
If you had Haslam's money, what causes would you support?
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