John R. Ingram
Born1961 or 1962 (age 61–62)[1]
NationalityAmerican
EducationPrinceton University (BA)
Vanderbilt University (MBA)
OccupationBusinessman
SpouseStephanie Currey Ingram
Children4
Parent(s)E. Bronson Ingram II
Martha Rivers Ingram
RelativesOrrin Henry Ingram (great-great-grandfather)
Julius Ingram (great-great-great uncle)
Erskine B. Ingram (great-grandfather)
Frederic B. Ingram (uncle)
Ingrid Goude (aunt by marriage)
Orrin H. Ingram II (brother)
David Bronson Ingram (brother)
Brownlee O. Currey, Jr. (father-in-law)

John R. Ingram (born 1961/1962) is an American heir, businessman and philanthropist. He serves as the chairman of the Ingram Content Group, Lightning Source and Digital Ingram, and Ingram Industries. He is the owner of Nashville SC.

Early life

John Ingram's father is E. Bronson Ingram II, the billionaire founder of Ingram Industries.[2] His mother is Martha Rivers Ingram and his brothers are Orrin H. Ingram II and David Bronson Ingram.[2]

His paternal, fifth-generation grandfather, David Ingram, was an immigrant from Leeds, England.[3] His paternal great-great-grandfather, Orrin Henry Ingram, was a lumber baron in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and an early investor in Friedrich Weyerhäuser's timber interests, later known as the Weyerhaeuser corporation.[4]

Ingram received a bachelor's degree in English from Princeton University in 1984, and an MBA from the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University in 1986.[1][4][5][6][7]

Career

Ingram Industries

Ingram joined the family business, Ingram Industries, in 1986.[1][5][6][7] He worked for Ingram Micro, in Santa Ana, California, then in Belgium, during the 1990s.[2] He served as vice-chairman of Ingram Industries, from 1999 to 2008, and now serves as chairman.[4][8] He also serves as its CEO and chairman of the Ingram Content Group.[1][4][5][7][8] He has been a member of the board of directors of Ingram Micro since 1996,[1][4][5][6][9][7] and sits on the advisory board of FCA Venture Partners.[10]

Nashville SC

In August 2017, Ingram became "the lead investor in the effort to bring a Major League Soccer team to Nashville,[11] later known as the Nashville SC, alongside fellow billionaires Mark Wilf, Zygi Wilf and Leonard Wilf.[12] To avoid a "conflict of interest," Ingram decided not to participate in negotiations on behalf of Vanderbilt University, where he serves as trustee (as does Mark Wilf), about a new stadium potentially built by the university;[13] the university decided to opt out of the plan in September.[14]

In November 2017, Nashville Mayor Megan Barry suggested giving away "10 acres of city-owned fairgrounds land for a mix-use development next to the stadium" to the developers, including Ingram.[15] Some councilmembers objected to the plan, but Ingram called it "an essential part of our proposal in the private/public partnership."[15]

As of December 2017, Ingram is expected to offset the construction costs of the $275 million Nashville Fairgrounds Stadium.[16] In particular, he is expected to pay "$25 million up front and $9 million a year over 30 years to help retire Metro's annual $13 million debt for the $225 bond issuance."[16]

Political activity and civic engagements

Ingram contributed US$1,500 to Republican David Fox's unsuccessful mayoral campaign in 2015.[17]

Ingram sits on the boards of trustees of the National Book Foundation and the National Center for Learning Disabilities, Vanderbilt University, the Montgomery Bell Academy, and the Harpeth Hall School in Nashville.[1][5][6][7][18] He is a member of the Charles Davis Foundation and the Princeton Varsity Club Advisory Committee.[6][18] The John R. Ingram '83 Endowed Fund for Athletics in the Department of Athletics at Princeton is named for him.[18]

Personal life

Ingram is married to Stephanie Currey, the daughter of Brownlee O. Currey, Jr.[19] They have four children.[5][6] They reside in Belle Meade, Tennessee.[20]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f BusinessWeek[dead link]
  2. ^ a b c Inside A $15 Billion Dynasty, Bloomberg Business, September 28, 1997
  3. ^ Ingram Chronicles, Forbes, 9/06/1999
  4. ^ a b c d e Forbes
  5. ^ a b c d e f Ingram Content Group biography
  6. ^ a b c d e f Tools of Change for Publishing conference
  7. ^ a b c d e FCA Venture Partners biography
  8. ^ a b Ingram Micro biography
  9. ^ Digital Book World Conference
  10. ^ FCA Venture Partners Archived 2012-11-17 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ Snyder, Eric (August 10, 2017). "Ingram recuses himself from Vanderbilt's stadium planning". Nashville Business Journal. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
  12. ^ Garrison, Joey (August 8, 2017). "Wilf family, owners of the Minnesota Vikings, joins Nashville's MLS ownership group". The Tennessean. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  13. ^ Sparks, Adam (August 9, 2017). "John Ingram recuses self from Vanderbilt, MLS shared stadium effort". The Tennessean. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
  14. ^ Garrison, Joey (September 27, 2017). "Nashville MLS quest: Vanderbilt football won't move stadium off-campus to fairgrounds". The Tennessean. Retrieved December 6, 2017.
  15. ^ a b Garrison, Joey (November 5, 2017). "Nearing Nashville MLS stadium vote, John Ingram makes final case for private development plan". The Tennessean. Retrieved December 6, 2017.
  16. ^ a b Ammenheuser, David (December 8, 2017). "Who's paying for Nashville's MLS stadium? What to know about quarter-billion project". The Tennessean. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  17. ^ Harrison, Scott (September 8, 2015). "Barry vs. Fox: Who the biggest business names have their money behind for mayor". Nashville Business Journal. Nashville, Tennessee. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
  18. ^ a b c Princeton Varsity Club Archived 2012-06-30 at the Wayback Machine
  19. ^ Brian A. Courtney, The Rich List 2002, NashvillePost.com, July 1, 2002
  20. ^ J.R. Lind, A glimpse at the most expensive homes in Nashville Archived 2015-07-21 at the Wayback Machine, Nashville City Paper, August 26, 2012
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