Early Life
Willis J. Johnson was born in 1947 in Clinton, Oklahoma, and grew up on a dairy farm in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. He served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, earning a Purple Heart.
Rise to Success
After returning from the war, Johnson bought a junkyard in Sacramento, California, in 1972. In 1982, he founded Copart, a vehicle salvage and auction company. He took Copart public in 1994. Johnson launched an online bidding platform for wrecked cars in 1998, revolutionizing the industry. He expanded Copart to have over 200 locations in multiple countries.
Key Business Strategies
Johnson's key strategies included specializing in specific brands and embracing new technologies, such as online auctions. He also focused on providing excellent customer service and building Copart into a leading brand in the industry. He stepped down as CEO in 2010.
Philanthropy
Johnson is known for his conservative political donations. He has contributed at least $1.5 million to various conservative causes since 2001. In 2021, he donated $1 million to South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem to fund a National Guard deployment to the Texas/Mexico border.
