Hunt, H L

Hunt, H L

▪ American industrialist
born Feb. 17, 1889, Ramsey, Ill., U.S.
died Nov. 29, 1974, Dallas, Texas

      American founder of a multibillion dollar oil business who promoted his ultraconservative political views on his own radio program.

      Hunt speculated in cotton properties until 1920. With a borrowed $50, he went to Arkansas and began trading in oil leases, buying and selling almost simultaneously so that he made money without spending any. In 1930, when an oil lease speculator called Dad Joiner struck oil in east Texas, Hunt quickly paid a $30,000 down payment on Joiner's 4,000 acres and promised him more than $1,000,000 in oil later. The tract of land proved to be one of the richest oilfields in the United States.

      Hunt continued to make shrewd investments in oil properties through his Hunt Oil Company, founded in 1936. One of his most successful ventures was his discovery and exploitation of vast oil deposits in Libya in the 1960s. With the immense wealth from sales of oil and natural gas, Hunt invested in publishing, cosmetics, pecan farming, and health food producers. By the time of his death, his fortune was variously estimated at between $2,000,000,000 and $3,000,000,000, with an income of more than $1,000,000 a week.

      Hunt became best known for his political views. From 1951 to 1956 he funded his own foundation, called Facts Forum, which produced radio and television programs of conservative, anti-Communist political commentary. The foundation also distributed books by Senator Joseph R. McCarthy and others. In 1958 he revived the foundation as Life Line, to distribute a daily 15-minute radio program carried by more than 400 stations.

      Hunt put a good portion of his assets in trusts for the families of his two marriages. The corporations that he founded are privately owned and managed by family members. In 1980 an unsuccessful attempt by two of his sons, N. Bunker and W. Herbert, to corner the world silver market nearly resulted in the collapse of silver prices. By 1985 losses from the silver fiasco, as well as the slumping oil and sugar-refining business, had reduced the family wealth by possibly one-third.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Hunt — may refer to:Hunting* Hunting, activity during which humans or animals chase prey * Collective reference to a group of hunters practicing such a hunt, especially with dogs, e.g. Berkeley Hunt ** Fox hunting * See also Hunting (disambiguation) for …   Wikipedia

  • hunt up — see ↑hunt (vi) above. • • • Main Entry: ↑hunt * * * hunt ˈup [transitive] [present tense I/you/we/they hunt up he/she/it …   Useful english dictionary

  • Hunt's — is the name of a brand of preserved tomato products owned by ConAgra Foods, Inc. The company was founded in 1888, in Sebastopol, California, as the Hunt Bros. Fruit Packing Co. by Joseph and William Hunt. The brothers relocated to nearby Santa… …   Wikipedia

  • hunt — [hunt] vt. [ME hunten < OE huntian, prob. < base of hentan, to seize < ? IE * kend , var. of * kent > Goth (fra)hinthan, to seize: see HAND] 1. to go out to kill or catch (game) for food or sport 2. to search eagerly or carefully for; …   English World dictionary

  • Hunt — (h[u^]nt), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Hunted}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Hunting}.] [AS. huntian to hunt; cf. hentan to follow, pursue, Goth. hin?an (in comp.) to seize. [root]36. Cf. {Hent}.] 1. To search for or follow after, as game or wild animals; to chase; …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Hunt — /hunt/, n. 1. (James Henry) Leigh /lee/, 1784 1859, English essayist, poet, and editor. 2. Richard Morris, 1828 95, U.S. architect. 3. (William) Holman /hohl meuhn/, 1827 1910, English painter. 4. William Morris, 1824 79, U.S. painter (brother of …   Universalium

  • Hunt — Hụnt 〈m. 1〉 = Hund2 * * * Hụnt : ↑ Hund (3). * * * Hunt   [hʌnt],    1) Helen, amerikanische Filmschauspielerin, * Culver City (Kalifornien) 15. 6. 1963; hatte bereits als Kind zahlreiche Engagements für Fernsehfilme und Serien, sammelte dann in …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Hunt — Hunt, n. 1. The act or practice of chasing wild animals; chase; pursuit; search. [1913 Webster] The hunt is up; the morn is bright and gray. Shak. [1913 Webster] 2. The game secured in the hunt. [Obs.] Shak. [1913 Webster] 3. A pack of hounds.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • hunt — hunt·able; hunt; hunt·er; hunt·ress; hunt·ed·ly; …   English syllables

  • Hunt — Hunt, v. i. 1. To follow the chase; to go out in pursuit of game; to course with hounds. [1913 Webster] Esau went to the field to hunt for venison. Gen. xxvii. 5. [1913 Webster] 2. To seek; to pursue; to search; with for or after. [1913 Webster]… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • HUNT (J. H. L.) — HUNT JOHN HENRY LEIGH (1784 1859) Poète et journaliste, polygraphe, ardent controversiste, l’écrivain anglais Leigh Hunt demeure sans doute une figure de second plan, mais sympathique. Ami courageux des jeunes poètes et prosateurs dont il… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”