George N. Gillett Jr.

George Nield Gillett Jr. (born October 22, 1938) is an American businessman.

Originally from Wisconsin, he lives in Vail, Colorado.

Gillett graduated from Lake Forest Academy in 1956.

Gillett's career continued in the 1960s in marketing and management consulting, initially with McKinsey & Co.

He attended Amherst College and is a 1961 graduate of Dominican College of Racine, Wisconsin.

Gillett's first job following college was with Crown Zellerbach as regional sales manager.

A sports fanatic since childhood, by 1966, he was business manager and partner of the Miami Dolphins.

In 1966, he purchased a 20% interest in the Miami Dolphins NFL franchise for $1 million.

He sold this interest in 1968 for $3 million, and used some of the proceeds to purchase the nearly defunct Harlem Globetrotters and later started Globetrotters Communications, a nationally syndicated radio group.

He reinvigorated the Globetrotters by an intense marketing effort that included a popular cartoon series.

In 1978, Gillett bought Packerland Packing Co. With the successful venture of Packerland, Gillett then diversified into radio and television with the start of Gillett Communications Company.

At its peak, Gillett Communications owned network affiliates, the majority of which were CBS, in many of the country's major television markets.

In 1979, he launched Gillett Communications by buying three small television stations.

Three years later he bought the WSM television station in Nashville.

In 1984, Gillett acquired Appleton-based Post Corporation's eight television stations, 22 newspapers and associated plants; the non-broadcast assets were sold to Thomson Corporation and other buyers.

In 1985, Gillett acquired Vail Associates' Vail and Beaver Creek ski resorts.

He would often ride chairlifts and greet guests, and launched a massive installation of high-speed detachable chairlifts.

In 1986, he bought out the two A.S. Abell stations as part of a spin-off resulting from the acquisition of A.S. Abell by Times Mirror Company.

In 1987, he acquired Storer Broadcasting using Kohlberg Kravis Roberts junk bonds, after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) lifted restrictions on ownership.

The Gillett stations were subsequently spun off to Busse Broadcasting, a company formed by Gillett employees.

Gillett also supported major alpine ski events at a time when most ski areas in America declined to host international races, starting with the 1989 World Alpine Ski Championships, and through his support hosted the 1999 World Alpine Ski Championships.

Gillett's companies sought Chapter 11 protection in 1992, as higher interest rates penalised junk bond issuers.

Gillett's media arm was reorganized as SCI Television, shortly before being purchased by New World Communications under the control of Ronald Perelman.

Many of these stations would eventually be sold to News Corporation and become owned-and-operated stations carrying Fox.

Gillett walked away with $32.1 million to restart his business empire when Vail floated on the NYSE.

In 1995, he repurchased Packerland undertaken by Booth Creek Management Corp., a company created to oversee the acquisitions and management of interests of the Gillett family from that point forwards, and of which Gillett remains chairman.

In 1996, he formed Booth Creek Ski Holdings Inc., acquiring or building a range of ski resorts in New Hampshire, California, Washington and Wyoming.

He later bought Grand Targhee Ski and Summer Resort, together with several golf courses.

Booth Creek continues to operate Sierra-at-Tahoe.

From 1997, he extended his meat interests by building Corporate Brand Foods America (which included ITC, Iowa Ham, Jordan Meats and Wright Bacon).

Iowa Beef Processors (IBP) purchased the company for US$550 million in 1999.

Gillett and Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst then bought ConAgra's beef operations – Swift & Company – for US$1.4 billion in 2000.

In 2000, Gillett joined forces with Pat Bowlen and John Elway in a failed attempt to buy the Denver Nuggets of the NBA, Colorado Avalanche of the NHL, and Pepsi Center.

On January 2, 2001, Gillett bought an 80% interest in the Montreal Canadiens and their home arena, Molson Centre, for US$185 million.

Prior to the purchase, Gillett had shown interest in the Florida Panthers, New York Islanders, Ottawa Senators, and the Phoenix Coyotes.

Gillett's bid initially raised fears that he might move the NHL's oldest franchise to the United States.

However, after no other viable offers surfaced from Canadian interests, Molson agreed to Gillett's offer.

On July 12, 2007, JBS S.A., the largest beef processor in South America and one of the largest worldwide beef exporters, purchased Swift & Company in a US$1.5 billion all-cash deal.

The acquisition made the newly consolidated JBS Swift Group the largest beef processor in the world.

In the meat business, Gillett now also formally controlled: