Wisconsin’s Richest Person Worth Over $19B Lives in the Shadows
We may save big money when we shop in the stores he founded and owns, but Wisconsin's richest billionaire is making even bigger money. An awful lot of it.
The list of the richest billionaires in every state was just released by Visual Capitalist and you can't see Wisconsin's richest without hearing the famous line said in all the commercials for the chain of home improvement stores he started in 1964.
That famous line from the commercials,
Save big money at Menard's
Wisconsin Richest Billionaire
John Menard Jr., whose residence is listed as Eau Claire, has a net worth, according to Forbes, of $19.2 billion. His last name is of course a name you probably recognize. John is the founder and CEO of the home improvement store chain that bears his name.
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This is not the first time he has topped this list. In 2022 97ZOK Afternoon Show Host, Sweet Lenny, wrote about his net worth at that time, which was $14.2 billion. John's wealth appears to have grown by $5 billion in the last year. shared this:
- Menard Jr. opened his first hardware store in the early 1960s.
- Former INDYCAR racing car team owner.
- Father of NASCAR driver Paul Menard.
- Menard Jr. made a $15M donation to Eau Claire's Luther Midelfort Hospital.
- Menard Jr. is a political supporter of conservative causes, notably donating to the Koch Brothers.
Another interesting fact about John Menard that the previous story shared was that many describe him as a "loner." Donald Davidson, an Indianapolis Motor Speedway track historian described Menard Jr. to Mary Van De Kamp Nohl with Milwaukeemag.com:
He’s a loner. He’s normally by himself and just moves in and out of the shadows.
One day, whatever is going on in those "shadows", will be brought out into the light.
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Gallery Credit: Steve Shannon