Jimmy Haslam is one of the most popular and richest Entrepreneur who was born on March 9, 1954 in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States. James Arthur Haslam III (born on the 9th of March 1954) is an American businessman. As the Chief Executive Officer of the Pilot Flying J truck stop chain, and co-owner along with their wife Dee and the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League as well as owner of the Columbus Crew SC of Major League Soccer. His father, a businessman Jim Haslam, founded the Pilot Corporation in 1958 as the Pilot Oil Corporation.
The year 2008 was when Pilot Corporation announced that CVC Capital Partners had acquired 49.8 percent of Pilot Travel Centers LLC, aiding in the sale Marathon Petroleum Company (formerly Marathon Ashland Petroleum) of its stake of Pilot Travel Centers. Pilot Corporation retained 50% ownership of Pilot Travel Centers LLC. In 2015 the Haslam family bought the majority of CVC Capital Partners’ shares in the company. Pilot’s convenience stores remain 100% owned by Pilot Corporation. In the year 2010, Pilot Travel Centers LLC was merged with Flying J Inc. Then in 2012 Pilot Flying J acquired Western Petroleum and the majority control of Maxum Petroleum and in 2012 created Maxum Enterprises LLC, d/b/a Pilot Logistics Services. Then, in 2014 Pilot Logistics Services merged with Thomas Petroleum to form Pilot Thomas Logistics. Pilot Flying J subsidiary Pilot Thomas Logistics is among the fastest-growing companies that supply energy to North America.
In April 2013, the FBI executed a search warrant and affidavit detailing a five-year fraud scheme by the Pilot Flying J chain. The company paid restitution to customers and agreed to pay a $92 million penalty pursuant to a Criminal Enforcement Agreement.
Haslam, who lives in his native Knoxville, Tennessee, is the elder brother of Bill Haslam, the former Governor of Tennessee. He is married to Susan “Dee” Bagwell Haslam, CEO of RIVR Media, part of the family ownership group of Pilot and co-owner of the Browns and Crew. They have three adult children, James Bagwell Haslam (adopted 2016), Whitney Haslam Johnson, and Cynthia Haslam Arnholt and five grandchildren.
Haslam bought a minority share within the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2008. He then signed the agreement Browns manager Randy Lerner to purchase the franchise for $1 billion. Browns Browns have been valued at 977 million in 2011 according to Forbes magazine, 20th in the NFL. NFL rules prohibit ownership of more than one team, so Haslam has sold his stake with the Steelers. The Haslams buying of the Browns was approved unanimously by all 32 teams of the NFL on the 12th of October. the sale closed 13 days later.
