One would think that billionaires spend their free time collecting supercars, traveling the world via a yacht, or spending time in one of their multiple mansions found throughout the world. While that is often very true of many modern day billionaires, that isn’t the case for all of them. Some billionaires, despite their great fortune, choose to live a more modest life that is similar to your average American. One such example of a person like this would be Jim Justice, who is often described as the “richest regular guy” in the United States.
Now when you think to yourself, “where are the most amount of billionaire from”, West Virginia is probably not high up on your list. And you’re right, the state of West Virginia is actually only home to just one billionaire: Jim Justice. While many of us are not familiar with Jim Justice, he is a bit of a start to those that live in West Virginia, a state notoriously known for its high levels of poverty and unemployment. West Virginians know Jim Justice as the billionaire who lives a life as mundane and average as the rest of us. In his free time Jim is often seen eating out at the local Applebees or is spending time coaching the Greenbrier East High School basketball teams; activities that are not often associated with billionaires and their lifestyles. He has recently just launched his campaign to become the governor of the state and hopes that his modest lifestyle will speak to voters.
Jim is worth around $1.7 billion dollars and has been tied to over 50 different companies and organizations where he has served as either the president or the CEO. Still, he has made the vast amount of his fortune from the coal industry, where he inherited his fathers business after he passed away. Despite many protests and lawsuits that have been filed against him and his coal, he is still a strong advocate for coal energy. He has paid out millions of dollars in settlement money and has lost some of his coal assets, however it is still his passion. The real question is to see how this holds up with the general public, as there is a global movement to move away from fossil fuels. Outside of coal, Jim is also known for restoring the historic and prominent Greenbrier Resort. In 2009 he purchased the bankrupt, semi-ruined property and has transformed it into a leading and thriving resort that offers luxury accommodations, a PGA-level golf course, an underground casino, and he is even looking to create some ski slopes. While Jim certainly has a lot of wealth at his disposal, he doesn’t flaunt his affluence and still leads a relatively average lifestyle. He is also banking on his massive wealth to gain the spot as governor.
Now that seems like a strange move for someone running for office in West Virginia. Despite having a foothold in the American coal industry, West Virginia consistently ranks as one of the poorest states in the nation. So why would the states only billionaire use his wealth as a running platform? Wouldn’t voters be less likely to vote for Jim because of this? As it turns out, probably not. The thing is, Jim has said multiple times that his wealth is a considerable asset. He has explained that since he is so wealthy, he will not be influenced by lobbyists, corporations, and other organizations that spend millions of dollars to influence politics. If he keeps to his word, it is actually a fairly good point. He is already extremely rich, and his great-grandkids are most likely set up for life. He doesn’t need any more money, and he wants to let the people of West Virginia know that.
So while Jim Justice is a coal tycoon, prominent businessman, resort owner, and a billionaire, he still lives a fairly average lifestyle. He’s not the type of person who drives around in a Rolls-Royce, but he could if he wanted to. I think that is probably one of his strongest qualities he has going for him in terms of his campaign. He could be one of those rich people that seeks envy and admiration from others, but he’s not. Instead he likes to eat at Applebees.
Photo from Scott Halleran/Getty Images
