Barefoot to Billionaire

I desire to leave this world as I entered it—barefoot and broke.” —Jon M. Huntsman, Sr.

“Everyone who knows Jon Huntsman is aware that he is a man of impeccable character and decency.” —President George H. W. Bush

“(Jon M. Huntsman, Sr. is) one of the finest human beings, industrial leaders and philanthropists on the planet.”—Stephen R. Covey

“Jon Huntsman is a different breed. He believes business is a creative endeavor, similar to a theater production, wherein integrity must be the central character.”—Larry King

At his birth, Jon M. Huntsman, Sr. was deemed dead on delivery. A descendant of pioneer ancestors as rugged as the land they settled, the newborn finally let out a faint gasp, grew, and hustled to outrun the shadow of poverty. He became a billionaire entrepreneur, distinguished public servant, and father of a former governor and presidential candidate.

On the way toward building a global industrial empire, Huntsman Corporation, which averages more than $12 billion in sales each year, Jon M. Huntsman, Sr. nearly flunked out of college, confronted bankruptcy three times, suffered four bouts with cancer, and faced the personal challenges of a severely mentally challenged son, the kidnapping of a child, and the death of a daughter. He served in the Navy, HEW, and the Nixon White House, and created a world-class cancer research and treatment center in Salt Lake City. Now, with his philanthropic focus on defeating cancer, he and his wife, Karen, have dedicated more than a billion dollars of their personal funds to the fight for a cancer cure. He intends to spend what it takes to help eliminate the suffering and death that all too often accompany this scourge.

In Barefoot to Billionaire: Reflections on a Life’s Work and a Promise to Cure Cancer (Overlook Press; November 2014; $35.00 U.S.), bestselling author Jon M. Huntsman, Sr. vividly recounts his made-in-America, rags-to-riches entrepreneurial journey of risk, rewards, and tumult. In his fascinating and down-to-earth style, he shares the key moments that shaped his views of faith, family, service, business leadership, the responsibility wealth imparts, and his decision to give away his entire fortune before his death.

Incorporating incidents and details never before made public, Huntsman relates business-building strategies, including ingenious financial engineering (a revolving $10 million float loan); international charitable efforts, such as the earthquake-relief erection of a concrete plant in Armenia; and his service to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jon M. Huntsman, Sr. is a graduate of the Wharton School of Business, serving on its Board of Overseers for 28 years and as Chair of that Board for the past 14 years. He is the Executive Chairman and Founder of Huntsman Corporation, a leading global petrochemical manufacturer. Author of the bestseller Winners Never Cheat, his books have been translated into more than 20 languages. In 1995, he founded the Huntsman Cancer Institute, one of America’s largest cancer research centers. He lives in Salt Lake City with his wife, Karen.

Barefoot to Billionaire tells of a rich life and a man who has vowed to fully share its rewards. I look forward to speaking with you about Jon M. Huntsman, Sr. and Barefoot to Billionaire.