Gary Rollins is known for two things killing rodents and throwing great parties.
Gary Rollins used to invite hundreds of guests to join him and his wife, Ruthie, at their family's lush 1,800-acre ranch near Cartersville, Georgia. However, when Gary's father passed away, his children accused him of denying them access to their grandfather's money, and the family started to crumble.
His wife took his kids' side and filed for divorce. A few months later, his son Glen filed for divorce, and a terrible legal battle took place for many years.
Who is Gary Rollins?
Gary W. Rollins is an American billionaire entrepreneur. Gary is the chief executive officer of Rollins, Inc., the country's biggest pest control company. Rollins, Inc is a pest control company with 14 subsidiaries, including Orkin, HomeTeam Pest Defense, and more. According to Forbes magazine, his net worth exceeds $5.2 billion, making him the fifth richest person in Atlanta, Georgia.
His father, Wayne, bought Orkin in 1964.
Gary was born on August 30, 1944. His father, Wayne, worked at a textile mill. However, he saved enough money to buy radio stations with his brother John. Wayne had two children, Gary and Randall. Gary Rollins attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, graduating in 1967 with a business administration degree. While at school, his father, Wayne Rollins, bought the Orkin Exterminating Company for $62.4 million.
In 1968, Wayne Rollins established The Rollins Children's Trust, which provided the basis for distributing his wealth to his nine grandchildren. In 1981, Gary was elected a Director of Rollins, Inc. Today, Gary serves as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
Gary's children sued him to get more money.
By the time Wayne died in 1991, he had created an empire that grew to be worth an estimated $8 billion. Gary and his brother Randall assumed the responsibility of running the company, which signaled the start of legal battles between many family members.
Four of Gary Rollins's children sued their father, Gary Rollins, who is Rollins' CEO, and their uncle, Randall Rollins, the company's chairman, for taking advantage of the family trust established by their grandfather Wayne Rollins.
Gary and Randall's spokesman said, "The plaintiffs' lawsuits are motivated by greed and self-interest. They have no regard for the structure of the Rollins family assets."
The lawsuit was settled in 2019. However, regardless of what the secret agreement stated, one thing is certain a family legacy was ruined by poor estate planning and questionable parenting.
Despite these legal battles and the well-documented family feud, Rollins Inc. continues to succeed with more than 2 million customers.
He supported President Donald Trump in 2020.
In 2020 he donated $25,000 to President Donald Trump's reelection campaign.
He also made the biggest philanthropic donation in the history of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga when he donated $40 million in 2018. As a result, the University of Tennessee Board of Trustees voted unanimously to name their business school Gary W. Rollins College of Business, to honor this incredible gift.
If you had Gary Rollins's money, what causes would you support?
Comments / 6