Leslie Lampton was born in 1925, in Jackson, Mississippi USA, and is a businessman, best known for being the founder and owner of Ergon Inc. which is an oil refinery and distribution company. The company started in 1954 and has been the primary source of his fortune, but all of his efforts have helped put his net worth to where it is today.
How rich is Leslie Lampton? As of late-2017, sources inform us of a net worth that is at $2.4 billion, mostly earned through success in the oil industry. He’s grown the company to have presence in multiple locations in the US, including with subsidiaries and partners. As he continues his endeavors, it is expected that his wealth will also continue to increase.
Leslie Lampton Net Worth $2.4 billion
Leslie attended the University of Mississippi, and after graduating, would start to pursue a career in business in the oil industry. He launched Ergon in 1954 with only two employees, but the company would then grow significantly over the next few years with the booming of the oil industry, so his net worth also increased significantly. He opened oil refineries in multiple states, with some of his biggest located in West Virginia and Arkansas.
Lampton has also expanded Ergon’s portfolio to include electronics manufacturing. The company produces communication electronics, maintenance products, security equipment and computer boards, along with multiple subsidiaries and partnerships to help them expand their craft. Leslie now owns over 500 oil wells, which are primarily located in Texas and Louisiana, and also created his own ethanol factory in Mississippi. Ergon is now estimated to make around $4 billion a year, and they distribute numerous petroleum products. They also own the Vicksburg Refinery located in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Other endeavors of the company include the manufacturing of road equipment for maintenance.
Leslie now has more than 2,500 employees under the company. Some of their subsidiaries and partnerships include Diversified Technology which manufactures embedded systems, Crafco which manufactures pavement maintenance products, and Trico Refining which is a partnership between Ergon and San Joaquin Refining. They were also previously affiliated with Lion Oil which had an oil field in Arkansas. However, the remaining interest in the company was later sold to Delek US Holdings for $228.7 million. Another subsidiary they have is Lampton-Love, which retails liquid petroleum gas.
In 2008, Lampton became involved in a treasury department investigation, done to check on how the tax records of the Mississippi State Supreme Court Justice were leaked. The investigation didn’t result in any significant changes to his net worth.
For his personal life, it is known that Leslie is married and has fathered seven children. He is a philanthropist, donating funds to his alma mater’s engineering program, and is the director of the Ergon Foundation which donates to educational, religious, youth, and community causes. Some of the organizations they’ve worked with include The Salvation Army, The Little Light House, and the Baptist Health System. He also served as a member of the State Judicial Commission of Mississippi. Aside from these, he enjoys hunting and has a hunting license in Mississippi.
