Dennis Washington
Missoula, Montana
Diploma, High School
United States
10
construction, mining, Self Made
$6,400,000,000
290
4
The Richest Person In Every State 2019
#290 Billionaires 2019
Dennis Washington parlayed an early love of machinery into a diversified business group called Washington Companies.Washington owns a copper mine, a regional railroad and stakes in two diamond mines.After working for his uncle's construction business, he struck out on his own with a $30,000 loan to start Washington Construction.Montana's richest person also has an investment in Seaspan Corp., cofounded by son Kyle, which now has more than 110 container ships.Though he didn't step onto a boat until age 45, he has since fixed up 9 including the one featured in the movie "Overboard."He and his wife, Phyllis, have given $840 million to their foundation, which in turn has doled out $300 million to approximately 1,000 groups.
Washington got polio at age 8 and spent 8 months in a hospital and rehab clinic. He then spent time in government housing and shined shoes for pocket money.The day after high school graduation, in 1952, he headed to Alaska where he started out greasing equipment, then became a heavy-crane operator.
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