Billy Joe “Red” McCombs is a director of ACADEMI and the founder of the Red McCombs Automotive Group, a co-founder of Clear Channel Communications, a former owner of the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets and the Minnesota Vikings, and the namesake of the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin. He is a long-standing member of Forbes Magazine’s top 400 richest Americans and has owned nearly 400 businesses during his career.
Mr. McCombs is recognized as one of the leading automobile dealers in the United States. His career began in 1950, and since then he has owned and represented almost every brand of vehicle. The operations have included retail dealerships as well as importation and distribution of Japanese and Korean vehicles. McCombs Automotive ranked sixth in the U.S. in sales in 1998, exceeding $1.7 billion in revenues, with more than 100 locations.
He is also the co-founder of Clear Channel Communications, Inc. Clear Channel is the largest radio station operator and outdoor advertising business in the world, with operations in more than 30 countries. The company was sold to private investors for an excess of $20 billion in 2008.
Mr. McCombs has also dedicated his time to leadership in his community. His family foundation gives over 300 monetary gifts each year to community, education and health-oriented charities.
He and his wife Charline have three daughters, eight grandchildren and two great grandchildren.