John Morris | $1B+
Get in touch with John Morris | John Morris, founder of Bass Pro Shops, turned a small fishing gear corner inside his father’s liquor store into one of America’s most iconic outdoor retail empires. Launching the brand in 1972, he built Bass Pro into a destination experience, combining expansive stores, conservation messaging, and immersive outdoor attractions that attract more than 200 million visitors annually. Through acquisitions such as Cabela’s and collaborations with leading conservation groups, Morris expanded the company’s influence across retail, manufacturing, resorts, and wildlife preservation. Known for his passion for nature and customer experience, he has become a transformative force in outdoor recreation and conservation philanthropy.
John L. Morris (born 1948) is an American billionaire businessman, and the founder, majority owner, and CEO of Bass Pro Shops, a hunting and fishing retail chain in the US and Canada.[1] As of August 2024, his net worth was estimated at US$9.9 billion.[2] He also owns White River Marine Group, Top of the Rock, Big Cedar Lodge, and Cabela's.
Early life
John Morris was born in Springfield, Missouri in 1948.[3] Morris was educated at Drury University.[2] He was born in Springfield to a father who was a World War II veteran, shaping his life to support patriotic values. Both of his parents were hunters and fishers, shaping his life growing up on the Ozarks and beginning the start of his passion for the sports.[4] Morris graduated from Glendale High School, then enrolled at Drury University to major in business. He often jokes that he "majored in fishing" during college.[5]
Career
Morris founded Bass Pro Shops in 1972 when he began selling fishing equipment in the back of one of his father's Brown Derby liquor stores in Springfield.[6][7] According to Forbes, Morris has a net worth of $8.3 billion.[2] Morris is also the founder of the White River Marine Group.[2]
In 1987, after a growth of Bass Pro Shops, Morris purchased a property previously owned and developed by business entrepreneur Jude Simmons and Frisco Railroad executive Harry Worman. The property was then sold to a real estate executive Dan Norris who developed the lands and the two buildings left by Simmons and Worman, now known as the historic Worman House and Devil's Pool Bar and Restaurant on the property. Dan Norris later sold it to John Morris for an undisclosed amount and the property, currently named Big Cedar Lodge, has been expanded to about 4,600 acres and was touted as the "#1 Resort in the Midwest" by Travel + Leisure magazine.[8]
Morris opened the Wonders of Wildlife Museum & Aquarium in Springfield, in 2017.[2] The museum helps bring visitors to Bass Pro's store there, with which it shares a location.[9][10] In September 2017, Bass Pro acquired Cabela's, another retailer of outdoor merchandise, for $4 billion.[11]
Morris and his family were presented with the Audubon Medal in February 2019, in recognition of their conservation efforts.[12] The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America awarded Morris its highest honor, the Old Tom Morris Award, in 2023 for his continuing lifetime commitment to the sport of golf and conservation efforts.[13]
Morris also founded the Top of the Rock golf course in Branson, Missouri, which houses one of the largest collections of Native American arrowheads and art in the region.[14] Top of the Rock experienced a 70-foot-wide sinkhole on May 22, 2016.[15]
Since 2022, Morris has been the owner of the Missouri Thunder; one of ten bull riding teams in the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Team Series, which runs every summer and autumn in the United States.[16]
Political activity
Morris contributed $200,000 to Donald Trump's 2020 presidential campaign.[17] He has been making consistent investments to Republican committees and candidates dating back to 1992. He made significant investments to political action committees for Republicans in US congress.[18]
Personal life
He is married, with four children, and lives in Springfield, Missouri.
Disclaimer: This profile is based on publicly available information. No endorsement or affiliation is implied.
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