Jim Justice, II. – Billionaire

In November 2016, West Virginians elected the state’s only billionaire, Jim Justice, to be their new governor. Justice, who switched his party affiliation in 2015 from Republican to Democrat, beat Republican candidate Bill Cole by running on a platform focused on education and improving tourism. He capitalized on the popularity he gained in the state after rescuing the historic Greenbrier Resort from bankruptcy, giving it a $250 million facelift, transforming it into a 10,000 acre complex with a PGA-quality golf course and an underground casino. Justice, who inherited a coal business from his dad, still owns coal mines in five states. In the months leading up to the November 2016 election, he announced he would reopen four mines in West Virginia and re-employ hundreds of miners.

Jim Justice II net worth: Jim Justice II is an American billionaire who has a net worth of $1.68 billion dollars which makes him the richest person in West Virginia. Born in Raleigh County, West Virginia, Jim Justice earned both his bachelor’s degree and his MBA from Marshall University. In the mid-70s, he began working for his father’s coal mining company, Bluestone Industries, and then split off to found his own grain farming company called, Bluestone Farms. He became CEO of Bluestone in the early 80s after his father passed away, and began to expand the company. He purchased additional coalmines in multiple states, including Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee. Bluestone, now known as the Justice Companies, also oversees farmland in multiple southern states. In 2009, he sold all of the West Virginia coal mining operations to the Russian company, Mechel OAO for nearly $450 million in cash, and over 83 million shares in the Russian firm. When not overseeing his company, he coaches both the girl’s and boy’s local high school basketball teams.

Source:

1. forbes

2. celebritynetworth