Robert Rowling
{{Short description|American billionaire businessman}}
{{Infobox person
| image =
| name = Robert Rowling
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1953}}
| birth_place = El Paso, Texas, US
| death_date =
| death_place =
| education =
| alma mater = University of Texas at Austin
Southern Methodist University
| occupation = Businessman
| title = Founder, TRT Holdings
| spouse = Terry Hennersdorf
| parents = Reese Rowling
| children = 2
| relatives =
| website =
}}
Robert B. Rowling (born 1953){{cite web|url=http://www.publicintegrity.org/2012/08/22/10741/donor-profile-robert-rowling|title=Donor profile: Robert Rowling|author=|date=22 August 2012|website=publicintegrity.org|accessdate=6 April 2018}} is an American billionaire businessman, and the Founder of TRT Holdings, the holding company of Omni Hotels.{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/robert-rowling/|title=Forbes profile: Robert Rowling|author=|date=|website=forbes.com|accessdate=25 May 2019}}
Early life
A native of Corpus Christi, Texas, Rowling has an undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at Austin and a doctorate in jurisprudence from Southern Methodist University.
Career
In 1972, Rowling began working for Tana Oil and Gas, which was owned by his father, Reese Rowling, and William E Colson. In 1989 Texaco acquired Tana for $476 million, thereby providing money that was used to form TRT Holdings. Five years later, TRT Holdings sold Corpus Christi National Bank to NationsBank for $131 million.{{cite web|url=https://apnews.com/aea4d54671413c4509166d0d40ba2508|title=NationsBank-Corpus Christi National Bank Merger Approved By CCNB |author=|date=|website=www.apnewsarchive.com |accessdate=6 April 2018}} TRT Holdings would later purchase Omni Hotels for $500 million and Gold's Gym for $180 million. In August 2010, Rowling made the winning bid to acquire the bankrupt Amelia Island Plantation Resort for $67.1 million.{{Cite web |last=Basch |first=Mark |title=Omni making its mark on the Amelia Island Plantation |url=https://www.jacksonville.com/story/business/2011/08/28/omni-making-its-mark-amelia-island-plantation/15891809007/ |access-date=2024-04-22 |website=The Florida Times-Union |language=en-US}} In July 2013, Rowling purchased six resorts from KSL Resorts including The Homestead 1766 in Hot Springs, Virginia.{{cite web | url=https://www.hospitalitynet.org/announcement/41010184/the-omni-homestead-resort.html | title=Restoring a Piece of American History: The Omni Homestead Resort Celebrates the Completion of Momentous $150+ Million Property-Wide Renovation with Grand Reopening }}
Rowling served as a regent to the University of Texas System until February 2009 when he resigned over a controversy regarding bonuses paid to the UTIMCO investment staff. Governor Rick Perry and Texas state senators had sought to go back on compensation agreements with the staff. Unwilling to break the contracts and disgusted by their grandstanding, Rowling quit during a Texas Senate Finance Committee meeting and followed it up a day later with a formal letter of resignation {{cite web|url=http://alt.coxnewsweb.com/shared-blogs/austin/politics/upload/2009/02/rowling_formally_resigns/Letter%20to%20Governor%20Perry%20and%20Lieut.pdf|title=A copy of Rowling's resignation letter is posted at|author=|date=|website=coxnewsweb.com|accessdate=6 April 2018}}
As of July 2024, he is worth US$9.5 billion. He is the 82nd richest person in the United States.{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/forbes-400/#p_7_s_arank_All+industries_All+states_All+categories_|title=Forbes 400 2017|author=|date=|website=Forbes|accessdate=6 April 2018}}
Political activities
He is a conservative Republican and a major donor to the party.{{cite news|title=Robert Rowling is the billionaire Dallas doesn't know|url=http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/DN-Rowling_24bus.ART.State.Edition1.4ddcaca.html|date=August 24, 2008|accessdate=August 29, 2010}} He is also one of four billionaire backers of the conservative political action group American Crossroads.{{cite news|title="Grassroots" Rove-linked group funded almost entirely by billionaires|url=http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/07/23/rove_group_billionaire_donors|date=Jul 23, 2010|accessdate=August 29, 2010}}{{cite news|title=Karl Rove-Linked Conservative Group, American Crossroads, Adapts to New Campaign Finance Landscape|url=http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2010/08/karl-rove-linked-conservative-group.html|date=August 19, 2010|accessdate=August 29, 2010}}{{cite news|title=Rove Returns, With Team, Planning G.O.P. Push|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/26/us/26rove.html?|date=September 25, 2010|accessdate=September 28, 2010|work=The New York Times|first=Jim|last=Rutenberg}} According to an article published in Forbes, four San Francisco Gold's Gym franchises split off from the brand after Rowling made a $2 million donation to Karl Rove's American Crossroads PAC, sparking protest from gay rights advocates.{{cite news|title=Gold's Gym Franchises Revolt Against Billionaire Owner For Funding Rove Group|url=https://blogs.forbes.com/clareoconnor/2010/10/26/golds-gym-franchises-revolt-against-billionaire-owner-for-funding-rove-group|accessdate=October 28, 2010|newspaper=Forbes|date=October 26, 2010}} TRT Holdings has also given an additional $2.5 million from the company treasury this election cycle, according to public filings.{{cite news|title=Gold's Gym Faces Backlash After CEO Gives to GOP Group|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/golds-gym-faces-backlash-after-ceo-gives-to-gop-group/|access-date=October 28, 2010|newspaper=CBS news|date=October 26, 2010|first=Stephanie|last=Condon}} He commented to Fox News, explaining that his donation to American Crossroads had nothing to do with social policies that could spark crossfire. "I've never heard one discussion of a social issue. This is all about fiscal sanity."{{cite news|title=This Isn't Working Out: Gold's Gym Franchises Split with Parent Co. Over CEO's American Crossroads Donation|url=http://politics.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/10/26/isnt-working-out-golds-gym-franchises-split-parent-co-over-ceos-american-crossroads-donat|accessdate=October 28, 2010|newspaper=Fox News Channel|date=October 26, 2010}}
In April 2020, Governor Greg Abbott named Rowling to the Strike Force to Open Texas – a group "tasked with finding safe and effective ways to slowly reopen the state" amid the COVID-19 pandemic.{{Cite web|url=https://www.khou.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/gov-abbott-introduces-strike-force-to-reopen-texas/285-b7a72787-706e-47f6-856d-0818909de8b9|title=These are the experts, leaders working with Gov. Abbott's strike force to reopen Texas|website=khou.com|date=17 April 2020 |language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-21}}
Personal life
He is married to Terry Hennersdorf Rowling, they have two children, and live in Dallas, Texas.{{cite web|url=https://news.utexas.edu/2013/03/21/rowling-family-pledges-gift-of-25-million|title=Rowling Family Pledges Gift of $25 Million for New Graduate Building at McCombs School of Business|author=|date=21 March 2013|website=utexas.edu|accessdate=6 April 2018}} They met when they were both studying for their bachelor's degrees in business at the University of Texas at Austin.
References
{{reflist}}
{{Omni Hotels & Resorts|state=expanded}}
{{Portal bar|Biography}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rowling, Robert}}
Category:University of Texas at Austin alumni
Category:Southern Methodist University alumni
Category:Businesspeople from Dallas