A glimpse of the savvy that built a global corporation from scratch The Last Oil Baron profiles a titan of the oil industry, mapping the journey of the quintessential American dream. The story of Leon Hess follows an immigrant kosher butcher's son as he builds an oil dynasty that may never be matched. The multinational, multi-billion-dollar company began with a single second-hand delivery truck and the Rockefeller-caliber business acumen of one young man. Interviews with former employees, beneficiaries, and even his high school sweetheart provide an insider's perspective on the man behind the legacy, allowing today's aspiring entrepreneurs the opportunity to learn from one of the nation's most inspiring success stories.
Leon Hess built a global empire from the ground up. Along the way, he fought in a war, did business with Muammar Qaddafi, won a Super Bowl as the owner of the Jets, was involved in Watergate, and introduced the Hess toy truck that became a holiday tradition for millions of Americans. More than just a book of business strategy, Hess tells the story of a life fascinatingly lived, and the legacy he left behind.
Discover the man behind the company, the Jets football team, and the iconic toy truck Learn how the actions of Leon Hess affected the modern push toward energy independence Study the strategy that turned a single-truck operation into a major integrated company Consider the challenges Hess Corp. faces to its family legacy today, and the solutions being implemented Leon Hess' strategies and techniques can be emulated and imitated, but his entrepreneurial fire is something altogether more rare. Hess provides readers with a glimpse of the man whose unrivaled ambition changed an industry and a nation.
I have collaborated with part of the Hess team with their admirable work to use natural gas that would be flared to fuel operations in the Bakken but did not know the company's history.
I enjoyed reading about Leon Hess, the entrepreneur, the visionary, the risk taker as well as the loyal family man, friend and philanthropist.
The chapters related to expanding downstream operations and refineries as demand grew in the U.S. after the war were especially interesting because my experience in the industry has been upstream.
His vision to invest in a broad-based industry and create jobs is from an era before companies were managed by their quarterly earnings reports.
His son, family and the company are respected and well-positioned in the industry having weathered the early years of the shale revolution.
The book is well written and shares insight of a successful but private man who built a successful public company.
I bought a copy for my father for Christmas. I look forward to hearing his thoughts on the history of Hess.