Dennis Washington – Billionaire
| Dennis Washington | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born | July 27, 1934 Spokane, Washington, US |
| Residence | Missoula, Montana, US |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Owner, Washington Group Intl. and Seaspan Marine Corporation |
| Net worth | $5.8 billion |
| Spouse(s) | Phyllis Washington |
| Children | Kyle Washington and Kevin Washington |
Dennis R. Washington (born 1934) is an American, Montana-based industrialist and philanthropist who owns, or co-owns controlling interest in, a large consortium of privately held companies collectively known as the Washington Companies and, in Canada, another collection of companies known as the Seaspan Marine Corporation. With an estimated current net worth of around $6.1 billion, he is ranked by Forbes as the 79th-richest person in America.
Early life
Born in Spokane, Dennis Washington grew up in Spokane, Bremerton, Washington, and Missoula, Montana.
Career
Following graduation from high school, he worked in construction in Alaska and Montana. He began his business career at age 30 in 1964, with a $30,000 loan and a single bulldozer. He created Washington Construction, which worked primarily on highway contracts and by 1969 was the largest contractor in Montana.
In the 1970s he moved into mining and dam construction. In 1986 he acquired a copper and molybdenum mine at Butte, Montana. He successfully reopened the mine and it became a very profitable operation. This success helped him diversify into railroads, marine services, coastal shipping, aviation and real estate. In 1996 Washington Construction acquired global construction and engineering company Morrison-Knudsen Corporation of Boise, Idaho, creating Washington Group International.
Included in the Washington Companies’ holdings are:
- Seaspan Marine Corporation
- Montana Rail Link
- Aviation Partners Inc.
- Montana Resources LLP
Source:wikipedia