Robert E. Rich Jr.

Robert E. Rich Jr. (born January 25, 1941) is an American billionaire, the chairman and majority owner of Rich Products Corporation, the largest family-owned frozen foods manufacturer in the US, based in Buffalo, New York. He has a net worth of $5.65 billion as of August 2017.

Robert E. Rich Jr.
Rich at the groundbreaking of Pilot Field in 1986, to the left of Mario Cuomo and James D. Griffin
Born (1941-01-25) January 25, 1941
NationalityAmerican
Alma materWilliams College
University of Rochester
(M.B.A.)
OccupationChairman, Rich Products Corporation
Net worthUS$6.05 billion (November 2018)[1]
Spouse(s)Mindy Rich
Children4
Parent(s)Robert E. Rich Sr. (father)

Early life

Robert E. Rich Jr. graduated from Williams College with a bachelor's degree in 1963 and Simon Business School in 1969.

Career

In 1964 he joined Rich Products, a company started by his father, as president of a startup subsidiary, Rich Products of Canada. Rich served in the United States National Guard from 1963 to 1969 and was a member of the Army Reserve Officer School Staff. He took time out to earn a Master of Business Administration (with honors) from Simon Business School at the University of Rochester in 1969. Returning to the company he created the position of Vice President of Sales and Marketing. In 1978 he was named President of Rich's.[2]

In 2006, when his father died in Palm Beach, Florida, Robert Jr inherited 56% of Rich Products and assumed the title of Chairman.[3]

Outside activities

Rich was on the inaugural board of directors of the Buffalo Sabres professional hockey team.

In 1983 Rich Products expanded outside food with the purchase of the Buffalo Bisons minor league baseball team.[4] The Bisons are the AAA affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. He also owns the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (the AA affiliate of the Kansas City Royals), and the West Virginia Black Bears (the short-season class A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates).[5] He is also on the Trustees Council of the University of Rochester.

In fall 2015, Rich's company, B.R. Guest Ltd., was given event organizing rights to a 160-acre stretch of Buffalo, New York's Outer Harbor.[6] The company was also awarded organizing rights to the city's Canalside District in a six-to-eight-year contract beginning in 2017; B.R. Guest takes over from Comcast Spectacor, who managed the district the previous years but had continually lost money.[7]

Personal life

Robert lives in Islamorada, Florida. He is married and has 4 children. His wife, Mindy, is vice chairman of Rich Products and has been with the company for over 24 years.[2] Hollywood is making a movie out of his memoir, "Fish Fights."[3] The book documents his quest to qualify for the Metropolitan South Florida Fishing Tournament Hall of Fame.[8] He is the vice chairman of the board of trustees of the International Game Fish Association and is also a member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America. A member of the board of trustees of the Cleveland Clinic since 2002, Rich was appointed chairman in 2011.[9] Politically, Rich is a Republican.[10]

References
  1. "Bob Rich". Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Retrieved 2018-11-20.
  2. Rich Products website
  3. Forbes 2009
  4. Answers.com
  5. "New York-Penn League News". MiLB.com.
  6. http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/2015/11/10/chicken-wing-festival-wont-be-flying-the-coup-to.html?ana=twt
  7. "Be our guest team lands canal side contract". www.bizjournals.com. January 9, 2017. Retrieved 2020-03-04.
  8. Rich 2001
  9. Cleveland Clinic
  10. NW, The Center for Responsive Politics 1300 L. St; Washington, Suite 200; info, DC 20005 telelphone857-0044. "OpenSecrets". OpenSecrets.

Bibliography
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