Thu
Jul 1 2010
09:01 am
Tennessee's wealthiest people
By: michael kaplan

wealthy, at least, in terms of money.

here's the list.
bizgrrl's picture

Darn, once again I didn't

Submitted by bizgrrl on Thu, 2010/07/01 - 10:10am.

Darn, once again I didn't make the list.

R. Neal's picture

Jim Haslam is a piker. (I

Submitted by R. Neal on Thu, 2010/07/01 - 10:21am.

Jim Haslam is a piker.

(I think that list is a little out of date, though. I'm guessing Clayton has moved up some.)

Bbeanster's picture

Betcha if they took the

Submitted by Bbeanster on Thu, 2010/07/01 - 10:25am.

Betcha if they took the Haslam family's aggregated dough into consideration instead of just looking at Big Jim's individual wealth they'd be moving on up.

citizenX's picture

I WONDER...

Submitted by citizenX on Thu, 2010/07/01 - 9:46pm.

I wonder why Alan Jones, owner of numerous loan shark Pay Day lending outlets in Tennessee, is not on the list? I'm told he has so much money he has a regulation size football field on his property. Even has bleachers, lighting and a scoreboard.

Bbeanster's picture

Jones is #19. Pete DeBusk

Submitted by Bbeanster on Fri, 2010/07/02 - 12:29am.

Jones is #19.

Pete DeBusk should be on there, though. I think they have a hard time estimating his income because DeRoyal is privately held. He recently told a reporter that it was bringing in around a billion a year.

He has the largest house in Tennessee, I think.

Pam Strickland's picture

LMU is a pretty good little

Submitted by Pam Strickland on Sat, 2010/07/03 - 1:34pm.

LMU is a pretty good little school. It's not an Emory and Henry, but I would rank it better than Carson Newman or Tusculum easily. My nephew went there, and got good mentoring in his field -- broadcast communications. Came out with a good job and a good network. He's moved up pretty well too. -- even considering the slack economy the last few years.

Knowzthetruth's picture

Not sure if you know what you're talking about

Submitted by Knowzthetruth (not verified) on Mon, 2015/02/16 - 10:58pm.
(in reply to metulj)

Pete dubusk only does what is right for Pete dubusk and his family. He does not care what benefits his patients or his employees. He is a sexiest man who favors his sons and all men alike. He only cares about his children and the fake prestige they bring to his company. And thats about it. I personally know at least one of his children and he or she is nothing more than an arrogant self entitled baby who has no clue what the real world is about.

michael kaplan's picture

how do they estimate incomes

Submitted by michael kaplan on Fri, 2010/07/02 - 12:50pm.

how do they estimate incomes of persons owning privately-held businesses? are income-tax filings public documents?

Rachel's picture

I think that was just the

Submitted by Rachel on Fri, 2010/07/02 - 11:35pm.

I think that was just the largest house in Knox County. I could be wrong tho.

Donna's picture

Debusk House

Submitted by Donna (not verified) on Wed, 2014/10/15 - 9:39pm.
(in reply to Bbeanster)

I live about 5 miles from the Debusk Mansion. It is absolutely breathtaking! It reminds me of "Tara" in the movie Gone With The Wind. I would accept an invitation to come inside anytime!

Factchecker's picture

Thanks for illustrating how

Submitted by Factchecker on Fri, 2014/10/17 - 10:19am.
(in reply to Donna)

Thanks for illustrating how the modern every-person views the 0.1% who own and control as much as the rest of us combined.

Doug Weaver's picture

And thank God for them!

Submitted by Doug Weaver (not verified) on Mon, 2015/01/19 - 11:11pm.
(in reply to Factchecker)

And thank God for them!

Factchecker's picture

Oh, brainwashed one

Submitted by Factchecker on Mon, 2015/01/19 - 11:42pm.
(in reply to Doug Weaver)

Why do so many right-wing trolls have such weak grammar skills?

Factchecker's picture

double post

Submitted by Factchecker on Fri, 2014/10/17 - 10:20am.
(in reply to Donna)

n/t

Bbeanster's picture

Pretty sure DeBusk's is

Submitted by Bbeanster on Sat, 2010/07/03 - 12:48am.

Pretty sure DeBusk's is Tennessee's biggest house. I think he planned it that way, even adding square footage to make sure. Don't know if the lodge is counted as part of the residence, but the thing's a monster.

Lisa Starbuck's picture

Funny

Submitted by Lisa Starbuck on Sat, 2010/07/03 - 1:20pm.

Here's a true story about the DeBusk house . . .

A girlfriend and I were riding down Cunningham Road one day with a carload of five, six and seven year-old little girls, heading to soccer practice.

As we drove past the DeBusk mansion, one of the five year old's piped up, "I know who lives in that house."

Thinking she might have actually been there for some reason or the other, I replied, "Oh really, who lives there?"

"A giant," she replied confidently, ensuing much hilarity in the car. Every time I drive past that house, I crack up thinking about it.

michael kaplan's picture

it's amazing that 5-, 6- or

Submitted by michael kaplan on Sat, 2010/07/03 - 9:58pm.

it's amazing that 5-, 6- or 7-year-olds would be sensitive to architectural scale, but there you have it ...

Lisa Starbuck's picture

Scale

Submitted by Lisa Starbuck on Sun, 2010/07/04 - 12:16pm.

If you've ever seen the house, you'd know why she made the comment. All the surrounding homes are normal sized houses, not even really that upscale, then you come upon this gigantic mansion (some would say monstrosity) that sticks out like a sore thumb. It's so out of place even a five-year-old notices it!

michael kaplan's picture

the net worth of tennessee's

Submitted by michael kaplan on Mon, 2010/07/05 - 10:56am.

the net worth of tennessee's 20 wealthiest comes to around $20 billion, while the state's budget for 2011 is $30 billion. maybe the 20 wealthiest could voluntarily pay a state income tax of 5% which would generate around $1 billion. that might help keep some folks on tenncare which is budgeted at $2.7 billion for 2011.

i'd also be curious to know what those 20 wealthiest would do otherwise with that 5% ...

R. Neal's picture

You seem to be confusing net

Submitted by R. Neal on Mon, 2010/07/05 - 11:04am.

You seem to be confusing net worth with income.

michael kaplan's picture

you're right, my error. that

Submitted by michael kaplan on Mon, 2010/07/05 - 11:58am.

you're right, my error. that raises new questions: how are these approximate numbers arrived at in the first place? what are the incomes of the 20 wealthiest? how much of this income is tax-sheltered?

my point was intended to be: couldn't the 20 (or 100) wealthiest tennesseans voluntarily pay a state income tax to support needed services?

Doug Weaver's picture

Jealous much?

Submitted by Doug Weaver (not verified) on Mon, 2015/01/19 - 11:09pm.
(in reply to michael kaplan)

Much needed services? So all the mouths that are fed through the jobs they provide isn't enough for you? How about the people that used income from these folk's businesses to put children through college that now own businesses that provide income for familes? Not enough for you right? Not fair right? People like you make me sick. Oh and lets not forget the property taxes for crappy liberal run schools! It's never enough for the mokchers is it.......

fischbobber's picture

Crappy liberal run schools?

Submitted by fischbobber on Tue, 2015/01/20 - 4:39am.
(in reply to Doug Weaver)

You ain't from around here , are you?

Min's picture

Well...

Submitted by Min on Tue, 2015/01/20 - 7:01pm.
(in reply to Doug Weaver)

The wealthiest people in the state aren't necessarily the ones creating the jobs. Studies show that small businesses do much more of that kind of thing, than extremely wealthy people. Wealthy people are occupied with sheltering and increasing their wealth, not creating new jobs, or enhancing benefits, or otherwise rewarding the employees who've made it possible for them to be wealthy.

I suspect that's why Jesus didn't think all that highly of wealthy people.

redmondkr's picture

But...But...But

Submitted by redmondkr on Wed, 2015/01/21 - 10:21am.
(in reply to Min)

You mean Jesus doesn't just adore Joel Osteen?

Min's picture

Not to be judgy or anything...

Submitted by Min on Wed, 2015/01/21 - 12:16pm.
(in reply to redmondkr)

...but Joel Osteen strikes me as exactly the kind of person Jesus drove out of the temple.

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