Bill Austin
Brownsville, Texas
High School Graduate, High School
United States
9
hearing aids, Self Made
$2,600,000,000
916
1
#916 Billionaires 2019
#328 Forbes 400 2018
Bill Austin owns Starkey Hearing Technologies, the largest hearing aid manufacturer in the U.S. He bought a hearing aid parts shop, which was then called Starkey Labs, for $13,000 in 1970. It's been a tumultuous climb recently with Austin firing several top executives in 2015. That move unleashed a series of events that most recently resulted in the former company president being found guilty of federal fraud charges.Austin spends much of his time traveling to developing countries for his Starkey Hearing Foundation, distributing hearing aids.
Starkey's customers have reportedly included five U.S. presidents, two popes and singer Dolly Parton.Starkey Hearing Foundation says it has donated some 1 million hearing aids around the world.
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