Portrait of Brad Kelley

Rank #2729

Brad Kelley

Net worth $1.4B

Tobacco · United States

Born
Dec 23, 1956
Age
69
Source
Tobacco
Residence
Franklin, Tennessee
Citizenship
United States
Marital status
Married
Children
3
Education
Diploma, High School; Drop Out, Western Kentucky University

Net worth over time

Biography

  • Brad Kelley, a Kentucky native and a farmer's son, built a fortune from discount cigarettes.
  • He built Commonwealth Brands, maker of USA Gold and Malibu cigarettes, and sold it for $1 billion in 2001.
  • Kelley has since used that cash to become one of the largest landowners in the U.S., with over 500,000 acres from Hawaii to Florida.
  • Kelley owns historic stud farm Calumet in Kentucky, which had three starters in the 2017 Kentucky Derby.
  • In 2020, Kelley sold travel guide Lonely Planet, which he had bought seven years earlier from the BBC for $75 million.
  • His horse English Channel has sired offspring that have nabbed over $57 million in prize money.

Financial assets

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