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| Jim Justice | |
|---|---|
| Born | Raleigh County, West Virginia |
| Citizenship | United States |
| Education | Marshall University (B.A., MBA) |
| Occupation | Businessman |
James Conley Justice, Jr. is an American coal and agriculture businessman from West Virginia.
Biography
Justice grew up in Raleigh County, West Virginia. He enrolled at the University of Tennessee on an athletic scholarship for golf, but transferred to Marshall University. He received his bachelor's degree and Master in Business Administration from Marshall.
After college, Justice went into the family agriculture business. Justice founded Bluestone Farms in 1977, which now operates 50,000 acres (20,000 ha) of farmland, and is the leading producer of grain on the East Coast of the United States. He inherited Bluestone Coal Corp. from his father in 1993, and sold some of his coal business to Mechel in 2009, which he bought back in 2015. Justice serves as the owner or chief executive officer of over 50 companies, including the The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, which he bought for $20.5 million in 2009, saving it from bankruptcy. Forbes estimates his net worth at $1.6 billion. As of 2014, he owned 70 active mines in 5 states. His charitable activities have included $25 million for the James C. Justice National Scout Camp at The Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve, $5 million for Marshall University, and $10 million to the Cleveland Clinic.
In 2015, Justice declared his candidacy for Governor of West Virginia in the 2016 election as a member of the Democratic Party. He had been a registered member of the Republican Party until changing his registration in February 2015.
Personal life
Justice lives in Lewisburg, West Virginia. He met his wife, Cathy (] Comer) in high school. They have two children, Jay and Jill.
Justice is a lifelong fan of the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL), and spent $30 million to develop a training facility for the team to use in 2014 at The Greenbrier, citing the $10.5 million generated in local revenue for Richmond, Virginia, when the NFL's Washington Redskins held their training camp there in 2013. He hosts the Greenbrier Classic, a PGA Tour event, at The Greenbrier annually. Justice also coaches a high school girls basketball team.
References
- ^ Tucker, Neely (March 6, 2011). "W.Va. billionaire Jim Justice's mission to restore the Greenbrier resort". Washington Post. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
- ^ Eyre, Eric (May 11, 2015). "Greenbrier owner Jim Justice enters governor's race". The Charleston Gazette. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
- ^ Jim Corbett, USA TODAY Sports (July 24, 2014). "Billionaire Jim Justice gives Saints lavish training camp". USA TODAY. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
- Berkes, Howard; Boiko-Weyrauch, Anna; Benincasa, Robert (November 15, 2014). "Billionaire Spent Millions In Charity, But Avoided Mine Fines". NPR. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
- Maher, Kris (May 12, 2015). "Jim Justice, West Virginia Billionaire, Launches Campaign for Governor". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved June 30, 2015.