What Is Johnelle Hunt's Net Worth?
Johnelle Hunt is an American businesswoman who has a net worth of $5 billion. Johnelle Hunt made her fortune as a co-founder of J.B. Hunt Transport Services (JBHT), America's trucking giant. A drop-out of the University of Arkansas, she is the widow of Johnnie Bryan Hunt, who she started the trucking business with in 1961. Through the years, JBHT grew into one of the largest trucking companies in the country with more than 12,000 trucks and trailers that provide transportation services to numerous customers in Canada, U.S. and Mexico. One year after the death of her husband in 2006, Hunt resigned from the company, but she still remains its major shareholder, holding 17%. Moreover, in 2012, she was named Woman of the Year by the Women's Foundation of Arkansas for her contributions to the community. In 2015, she was inducted into the Arkansas Women's Hall of Fame. As of 2018, Johnelle Hunt is worth more than $3 billion, which makes her one of the richest women in America.
Early Life
Johnelle Hunt was born Johnelle Terria DeBusk on January 4, 1932, in Heber Springs, Arkansas. Her father owned a poultry business. After graduating from high school, Johnelle enrolled at the University of Central Arkansas to pursue a teaching degree, but she dropped out to marry Johnnie Bryan (J.B.) Hunt.
Career
In the early 1960s, Johnelle and J.B. sold their house and took out loans in order to launch a rice hull packaging operation. After losing nearly $20,000, the business ended up becoming the largest poultry litter producer in the world. In 1969, the Hunts bought a trucking operation that included seven trailers and five trucks. They initially intended the trucking operation to be a support for the rice hull packaging business, but by 1983, J. B. Hunt Transport Services had become the country's 80th largest trucking firm, with more than $620 million in revenue. That year, they sold the rice hull business, and the trucking operation went public on the stock market, offering over one million shares.
Johnelle served on the J.B. Hunt Transport Services board until 2007. As of 2023, the company's revenue was $12.830 billion. In a 2016 interview with "Little Rock Soirée," Hunt said of the company's drivers, "I really care about the people. It has gotten so large now, but I love to go and see everyone, I really enjoy it. Being with the drivers is one of my favorite things. We hold a big celebration for each driver when they pass a landmark distance like 100,000 miles." She added, "I'm proud of everything about my family and all the people we work with. Some have been with us since the beginning. Some people came there right out of high school and college and now are retired."
(Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
Personal Life
Johnelle married Johnnie Bryan Hunt in 1952, and they remained together until his death in 2006. J.B. died at the age of 79 after falling on ice and suffering a head injury. The couple had two children, Jane (born 1954) and Bryan (born 1960). Bryan is a member of the board of J.B. Hunt Transport Services and is the Managing Member of JBHT's automobile financing company, Progressive Car Finance. Johnelle donated $5 million toward the construction of the J.B. and Johnelle Hunt Family Ozark Highlands Center, which opened in late 2020 in Springdale, Arkansas. The J.B. and Johnelle Hunt Family Ozark Highlands Center measures 32,000 square feet and sits on more than 60 acres of land, and it's "the newest place to learn about the natural world and outdoor recreation in Northwest Arkansas."
Real Estate
Johnelle owns a 2,198-square-foot home in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The home includes three bedrooms, and according to "Urban Splatter," the property is worth around $500,000.
