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 ...
He went after Union Oil of California. Union Oil of California practically went broke fighting the hostile takeover and became Unocal. Unocal was a shadow of the old Union Oil of California and eventually acquired by Chevron. Did you know that Marilyn Monroe made only on TV commercial and it was for Union Oil Company.
I sat with T Boone Pickens and Gov Corbett on an energy round table in Williamsport, PA back in 2008. It was an honor and privilege to be around such a man of focus.
He long advocated for a clear national energy policy....Trump finally did it and brought this nation energy independence.
Comes in 3s. You forgot Koch.
I can’t find them either...but here is Boone Pickens’ TedTalks speech.
Probably talks about them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeiSXpmMQys
“work eight hours, sleep eight hours, be sure they are not the same.”
Clever but probably not what you’re looking for. ???
yes, his wind power boondoggle was unfortunate. I always like listening to him speak.
Ok, But its hard for me to think positive about someone who would advocate on such as large scale a niche technology like wind power. Yes everyone can make a mistake, but it doesn’t take advanced Martian algebra to calculate that such an investment is nonsense. Unless the goal is the USG subsidy not commercial profit.
Would rather it be about george soros.
Thanks - his two basic reasons for failed businesses are 1) they are under-capitalized and 2) ???
It wasn’t something obvious - but really made you think.
Anyway - appreciate the help
Paul
He wanted to be T-Bone Pickens, but Watkins in accounting already had the name.
Sorry to hear of him passing.
There are no replacements for some people.
RIP to T. Boone Pickens and prayers to his family...
Didn’t he go after water rights like a mongol raider?
Wow...I didn’t know the Hatfields and McCoys lived that far north.
Usually, a company that is a target for a hostile takeover has problems. Often, these problems can be solved by trimming the excess labor foisted upon the business by unions that, sadly, don’t consider the “bottom line” to be important.
Mergers result in the same “trimming.” Is it good for those let go? No. But the bottom line is important to those who have invested their money. Those stockholders are who management and labor work for. The hard fact of life.
Capitalism, it is our system.
Wind power needs fast generation back up like from NG fired plants. He owned huge fields of N Gas!!
He never had the resources to buy any of the larger companies he went after. His money was in selling back shares to the firm. Unocal refused to deal with him. That and the long decline in crude prices around 1990 killed his operations along with the anti takeover laws. He used to muse it was easier to find oil on wall street than in the oil fields.
Rest in Peace
Pickens practically remade Oklahoma State athletics.
I remember attending games at the old Lewis Field. Sitting on the aluminum benches. I haven’t been back since the remodeled stadium but it sure looks nice.
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