Early Life
Sid Richardson Bass was born on April 9, 1942, in Fort Worth, Texas. His father, Perry Richardson Bass, built an oil fortune with his uncle, Sid W. Richardson. Sid Bass graduated from Yale University in 1965 and earned a degree from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Rise to Success
Bass took control of the family business in 1968. His investments include oil and gas. He was the largest shareholder in The Walt Disney Company from 1984 until the stock market crash in 2001. Bass was forced to sell his Disney holdings due to a margin call. He transformed the $50-million family company into a $14-billion investment group. In 2017, the Bass brothers sold oil and gas interests in Texas' Permian basin to Exxon Mobil for $5.6 billion in stock.
Key Business Strategies
Bass has been known for strategic long-term investments, navigating the complexities of the oil and gas industry and diversifying into various sectors, including investments in the Blue Bell ice cream company after a listeria outbreak. He has demonstrated a keen ability to manage and nurture investments, including the sale of oilfields in 2017.
Philanthropy
Sid Bass is also recognized for his philanthropy. He donated $20 million to Yale University in 1990. In 2006, Bass and his second wife, Mercedes Bass, made a gift of $25 million to the Metropolitan Opera.
