John Richard Simplot

John Richard ("Jack" or "J.R.") Simplot (January 4, 1909 – May 25, 2008) was the founder of the J. R. Simplot Company, a Boise, Idaho based agricultural supplier specializing in potato products. In 2007 he was estimated to be the 89th-richest person in America, at $3.6 billion. At the time of his death at age 99 in May 2008, he was the oldest billionaire on the Forbes 400.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._R._Simplot

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Businessman. Born John Richard Simplot, at his death he was the oldest billionaire on the Forbes 400 list of wealthiest Americans, with a fortune of over $3 billion. At age 14 he quit school and left home, working on a farm while looking for opportunities to make money, and eventually using the profit from several small ventures to found the J.R. Simplot Company. By World War II, Simplot was the nation's largest shipper of fresh potatoes and a major supplier of dried vegetables to the military. After making a deal to supply McDonald's, the Simplot Company became the fast food chain's primary provider of french fries and hash browns. Constantly searching for opportunities to diversify, Simplot expanded his holdings to include fertilizer production, oil, animal feed and seed, beef cattle, and ski resorts. In the early 1980s he provided startup capital for Micron Technology, one of the largest makers of the Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) computer chips that are integral components of digital devices. The Simplot Company has expanded internationally, including purchase of Australia's largest food processing company. It is one of the world's largest frozen-potato processors, distributing more than 3 billion pounds of french fries and other potato products worldwide each year. J.R. Simplot was active in Idaho politics as a supporter of Republican candidates. Idaho Governor Butch Otter was his former son-in-law.

Source: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=27082536

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• J. R. Simplot
• J. R. SimplotAKA John Richard Simplot
• Born: 9-Jan-1909
• Birthplace: Dubuque, IA
• Died: 25-May-2008
• Location of death: Boise, ID
• Cause of death: Natural Causes
• Remains: Buried, Morris Hill Cemetery, Boise, ID
• Gender: Male
• Race or Ethnicity: White
• Sexual orientation: Straight
• Occupation: Business
• Party Affiliation: Republican
• Nationality: United States
• Executive summary: Fabulously wealthy Idaho potato farmer
• Father: Charles Richard Simplot
• Mother: Dorothy
• Wife: Esther Becker
• (three sons, one daughter)
• Son: Don
• Son: Scott
• Daughter: Gay
• Son: Richard
• Wife: Ruby (div.)
• High School: (dropped out)

Source: http://www.nndb.com/people/267/000030177/