Even among giants who achieve legendary status in Texas, none are more colorful than those in the Dallas and Fort Worth area. H. Ross Perot, the Dallas billionaire who founded EDS, Electronic Data Systems helped set up the Medicare system in 1965; organized the successful rescue of EDS executives from an Iranian prison in 1979 and ran for President in 1992, gaining 19% of the popular vote.
The Hunts are a family of Dallas headline-makers that started with H.L. Hunt,Jr., a card-playing gambler who used poker winnings for a stake in the 1920’s oil boom, became a billionaire and sired three sets of children by three different wives before his death at age 85. Two sons, Herbert and Bunker bought $4.5 billion in silver before the market collapsed in 1980, forcing liquidation of many holdings.
The Bass Family of Fort Worth owes its start to oilman Sid Richardson, whose nephew, Perry Bass inherited Richardson’s enormous fortune. Perry and his four sons invested in their city, owning 38 square blocks of downtown Fort Worth, and each is regarded among the nation’s wealthiest individuals. All have contributed greatly to civic, cultural and humanitarian projects.
