Ross Perot Jr.
Ross Perot Jr. | |
---|---|
Born |
Henry Ross Perot Jr. November 7, 1958 Dallas, Texas |
Nationality | American |
Education | Vanderbilt University |
Net worth |
US $ 1.6 billion (est.) (2015)[1] |
Spouse(s) | Sarah Perot |
Children | 4 |
Relatives | H. Ross Perot Sr. (father) |
Henry Ross Perot Jr. (born November 7, 1958)[2] is a real estate developer and American businessman who is best known for his development of AllianceTexas, an inland port near Dallas-Fort Worth, and his circumnavigation of the world in a helicopter at the age of 23.
Perot serves as the Chairman for multiple companies including The Perot Group[3] and Hillwood.[4] He is a founder, former CEO, and former Chairman for Perot Systems. He is the elder son of billionaire American businessman and former United States presidential candidate, Ross Perot.
Early life
Perot was born and raised in Dallas, the son of Margot (Birmingham) and Ross Perot. He graduated from St. Mark's School of Texas in 1977.[5] After graduating from Vanderbilt University, he served in the United States Air Force for eight and a half years.[6]
Career
In 1982 Perot co-piloted a flight that circled the world in a helicopter.[7] Using a Bell 206 L-1 Long Ranger II, Perot completed the circumnavigation on September 30, 1982.[8]
Perot has expanded his family's fortune primarily through real estate and serves as chairman of The Perot Group, which manages the various Perot family interests that include real estate, oil and gas, and financial investments. He is well known for his 1980s development and ownership of the Fort Worth Alliance Airport and the residential community of Heritage, which is a successful development executed by the public-private partnership Alliance Texas.[9] Perot is also Chairman of Hillwood, which he founded in 1988. Hillwood is ranked among the top ten real estate developers in the United States and is recognized for its high-profile projects and public-private ventures.[10]
Hillwood's residential division, Hillwood Communities, was awarded by D Magazine’s D CEO as "Outstanding Single-Family Developer of the Year" in October 2015. The company has focused on acquiring highly sought after land and launching new communities with its LiveSmart platform. The LiveSmart brand entails providing homes and communities with the latest technology in home automation and other conveniences, rigorous standards for energy efficiency and environmental stewardship, and other lifestyle components, such as pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods with amenities that encourage activity and a sense of community.[11] It debuted that brand with Harvest, a $1 billion, 1,150-acre development in Northlake and Argyle. Hillwood Communities recently kicked off several new LiveSmart communities in Texas, including the 1006.5 acres development Pomona in Manvel, TX and the 787-acre Union Park in Little Elm.[12]
From 2002-2003, Perot served as chairman of the Texas Governor's Task Force for Economic Growth.[13] In March 2007, presidential candidate Mitt Romney, seeking the Republican Party nomination selected Perot as a member of his Texas finance committee.[14]
Perot was a member of the Board of Directors for Dell Inc. Perot is a board member of Guide IT.[15] He is Chairman of the United States Air Force Memorial Foundation and Co-Chairman of the EastWest Institute. He also sits on the Board of Trustees of St. Mark's School of Texas, Southern Methodist University, and Vanderbilt University.[13] In 2010 Forbes reported Perot's net worth at $1.5 Billion.[1] Perot was the 1983 recipient of the Langley Gold Medal from the Smithsonian Institution..
Dallas Mavericks ownership
Perot purchased the Dallas Mavericks NBA basketball team from original owner Don Carter in March 1996.[16][17] Under his four-year tenure, the Mavericks made no more progress on the court as they had in Carter's final seasons, and nowhere near what they would do under his successor, Mark Cuban; it was said that he was a basketball novice, or disinterested in the sport [18] and was using his position as team owner to front his projects, most notably Victory Park, which was anchored by the American Airlines Center which opened in 2001. He sold the team to Cuban in January 2000 and the franchise has not had a losing season in the 15 full seasons afterward, winning two Western Conference championships and the 2011 NBA Finals.
In May 2010, Perot, who retained 5 percent ownership, filed a lawsuit against Cuban, alleging the franchise was insolvent or in imminent danger of insolvency. In June 2010, Cuban responded in a court filing maintaining Perot is wrongly seeking money to offset some $100 million in losses on the Victory Park real estate development.[19] The lawsuit was dismissed in 2011, due in part to Cuban asserting proper management of the team due to its recent victory in the 2011 NBA Finals.[20] In 2014, the 5th Circuit Court affirmed that decision on appeal. Following his initial defeat, Perot attempted to shut out Mavericks fans from use of the parking lots he controlled near the American Airlines Center.
Perot retains a minority stake in the team to this day, as does his predecessor Carter.
Honors
- In 1982, President Ronald Reagan presented Perot with the Gold Medal Award for Extraordinary Service.
- In 2007, Perot was the recipient of the Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship.
- In 2007, Perot was the recipient of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service.
- In 2008, Perot and his father, H. Ross Perot, jointly received the H. Neil Mallon Award presented by the World Affairs Council - Dallas/Fort Worth.[21]
- In 2012, Perot was inducted into the Texas Transportation Hall of Honor.[22]
References
- 1 2 "The World's Billionaires: #721 Henry Ross Perot Jr.". Forbes. March 3, 2010.
- ↑ Texas Births, 1926-1995, Henry Ross Perot Jr.
- ↑ "Our Team". www.perot.com. Retrieved 2016-04-12.
- ↑ "Ross Perot Jr.". www.hillwood.com. Retrieved 2016-04-12.
- ↑ "St. Mark's School of Texas | Board of Trustees". www.smtexas.org. Retrieved 2016-04-12.
- ↑ "Shadow box". airforce.togetherweserved.com. Retrieved 2016-04-12.
- ↑ "Speed around the world. Eastbound. Class E-1d (Helicopters: take off weight 1750 to 3000 kg) ". Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI). Note search under E-1 Helicopters and "Speed over a recognised course". Accessed: 21 September 2014.
- ↑ "With a Little Help from Dad, a Texas Heir Circumnavigates the Globe by Helicopter : People.com". www.people.com. Retrieved 2016-04-12.
- ↑ http://www.hillwood.com/About/KeyBrands/AllianceTexas.aspx
- ↑ http://www.alliancetexas.com/WhyAllianceTexas/RossPerot,Jr.aspx
- ↑ http://www.hillwoodcommunities.com/Portals/0/PDFs/2001-5511-01%20LiveSmart%20Brochure%20DD8p7.pdf
- ↑ http://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-ceo/2015/october/best-dallas-fort-worth-real-estate-projects-2015
- 1 2 Bloomberg Businessweek ; Executive Profile H. Ross Perot Jr.
- ↑ "Governor Mitt Romney Announces Texas Statewide Finance Committee" (Press release). MittRomney.com. March 27, 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-04-18. Retrieved October 28, 2010.
- ↑ "Board | About GuideIT". GuideIT. Retrieved 2016-04-12.
- ↑ Mark Cuban: Plane gives us a 'competitive advantage'; Perot Jr. is a 'joke'
- ↑ Mavericks ownership under Mark Cuban
- ↑ Perot sells to Cuban
- ↑ Cuban Responds To Perot Jr.'s Mavs, June 23, 2010, http://cbs11tv.com; retrieved July 19, 2010
- ↑ Jeff Caplan (November 4, 2011). "Judge denies suit against Mark Cuban". ESPN.
- ↑ "Past Mallon Recipients - World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth". www.dfwworld.org. Retrieved 2016-04-12.
- ↑ "2012 — Texas A&M Transportation Institute". tti.tamu.edu. Retrieved 2016-04-12.