And The Richest Man In Pennsylvania Is.......

[papipeguy]

PENNSYLVANIA: John S. Middleton is worth $1.8 billion
I guess there's a little money to be made in the pipe tobacco business.
59-year-old John S. Middleton sold the privately held cigar maker John Middleton Inc. for $2.9 billion in 2007 to Altria Group. The company was started by his family in 1856 as a Philadelphia tobacco shop, and at the time was the world's third-largest cigar maker.
Nowadays, Middleton and his wife Leigh are dedicated to giving back to charities in Philadelphia, including Project HOME, University of Pennsylvania, and the Philadelphia School District.

 

[wyfbane]

Nice story. Good to see them supporting education. I think that should be the focus of more wealthy people.

 

[ssjones]

Does he smoke a pipe?

 

[retrogasm]

Nah, PAD and 1.8 billion are incompatible.

 

[woodsroad]

160 years as a family business and this snot-nosed kid blows it.

 

[johnnyreb]

You found my long lost Uncle John!

 

[petes03]

+1 woodsroad!
If he hadn't sold it, we might still have blends like Sugar Barrel and Walnut around!

 

[woodsroad]

A family budiness is happy with steady profit. Shareholders must see growth.

 

[7ach]

For 2.9 billion there isn't anything I wouldn't sell.

 

[sablebrush52]

For 2.9 billion there isn't anything I wouldn't sell.

Including the family "jewels"?

 

[CherokeeBilly]

If you've got $2.9 billion Sablebrush, I've got a box and a Ziploc bag to put em in and mail to ya!

 

[petes03]

Yup, I'd sell mine too! Then I'd have enough money to have some custom implants made out of solid gold jingle bells!

 

[7ach]

Lol... take them both for that much

 

[wyfbane]

I wouldn't sell my son for that, and my lady isn't mine to sell, but aside from those 2 things, yeah anything goes for 2.9 Bil.

 

[mephistopheles]

I'll never understand why some people sell profitable family businesses; especially when they've stood the test of time.

 

[lucky695]

^^^ummm Money. the love of money is more powerful than family ties... for some.