Rank #2076
Willis Johnson
Net worth $2.0B
Damaged cars · United States
- Born
- May 26, 1947
- Age
- 79
- Source
- Damaged cars
- Residence
- Franklin, Tennessee
- Citizenship
- United States
- Marital status
- Married
- Children
- 2
- Education
Net worth over time
Biography
- Willis Johnson is the founder of Dallas-based Copart, a leader in online auctions for used and totaled cars; he owns about 6% of the stock.
- Johnson founded the company out of a single lot in Vallejo, California in 1982 after several years operating a dismantling yard near Sacramento.
- He took the company public in 1994 and expanded across the country; Copart now has more than 200 locations in 11 countries.
- Johnson stepped down as CEO in 2010 and handed over the reins to his son-in-law, Jay Adair, who first joined Copart in 1989 at age 19. (Adair stepped down as CEO in 2024 and is now executive chairman.)
- Before starting Copart, Johnson worked at a Safeway grocery store and at his father's scrapyard in California.
- Johnson was drafted into the Vietnam War and was awarded a Purple Heart for his service.
- Johnson owns a large collection of classic cars at his home outside Nashville, Tennessee; his prized possession is a black 1955 Chevrolet.
Financial assets
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