Posted on 09/11/2019 11:50:22 AM PDT by Hojczyk
Pickens had an energy career that went from laborer to tycoon — and the Oklahoma State benefactor was among the few business elites granted "dual citizenship" on both sides of the Red River.
T. Boone Pickens, legendary energy executive, philanthropist, ardent Oklahoma State University supporter and one of America's most famous entrepreneurs, died peacefully Wednesday of natural causes at his home in the Vendome. He was 91.
Over the years, Pickens gave $2 million to the VNA Dallas' Meals on Wheels. He spent many Christmas and Thanksgiving days delivering turkey dinners to recipients who had no clue who the delivery guy was.
As Pickens left, he'd hand them a crisp hundred-dollar bill, saying it was from Santa Claus.
Today Pickens' name is on more than a dozen buildings and facilities in North Texas, including the YMCA in downtown Dallas, the biomedical building at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Texas Woman's University's Institute of Health Sciences-Dallas Center,
Boone-isms
“Be willing to make decisions. That’s the most important quality in a good leader.”
“Don’t fall victim to what I call the ‘ready-aim-aim-aim-aim’ syndrome. You must be willing to fire.”
"Show up early. Work hard. Stay late. Work eight hours and sleep eight hours, and make sure they are not the same eight hours."
"I told a friend, 'This is the kind of market that builds character.' He looked at me and said, 'If it gets any worse, you'll have more character than Abe Lincoln.' "
"My mother once told me, 'Son, you talk too much. You should listen more. You don't even know who the enemy is.' "
“If you’re on the right side of the issue, just keep driving until you hear glass breaking. Don’t quit.”
"Play by the rules. It's no fun if you cheat."
(Excerpt) Read more at dallasnews.com ...
Pickens has finally stopped producing “weeee-und”.
Satan looks after his own.
Has traitor Kerry ever collected the $1M reward for disproving any of the Swift boat vets claims?
“Not well-regarded here in Pittsburgh. His hostile takeover activity cost the area a lot of jobs in the late 70’s.”
I am sure that unions and their strikes had nothing to do with that ...
No. Unions do no wrong here in Pittsburgh. Many blame Reagan for the steel industry collapse. Any motivated 4th grader could see that Reagan had nothing to do with that, but many old timers in Western PA will repeat what their union told them verbatim and won’t listen to facts.
What I remember about Pickens was his pitch for “investors” to buy into a plan of his to build a huge wind farm out in the mid Southwest somewhere. After getting a bunch of takers, the site was too far from any population center to be feasible. Last I heard, he was denied the permits to build it. Never heard any more about it. 25+ years ago.
RIP.
I had dealings with him when Mesa Energy was in Amarillo.
He paid to get his mayor and commission elected to sell him Amarillo’s gas field. For pennies on the dollar. When we were pissed, he moved his business to Dallas and said Amarillo was nothing but a huge truck stop.
No love from me or people who had to deal with the greedy stooge.
Some here on FR badmouth T. Boone Pickens but he bankrolled the Swift Boat Vets in their campaign to torpedo J F’n Kerry’s run against Dubya. He also made a lot of folks millionaires off of his ventures. Even I made a few $s off his campaign for natgas transportation fuel, namely CLNE and WPRT.
Godspeed T.Boone Pickens!!!
Yes indeed, I would not have wanted to come up against him in business.
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