Wayne Huizenga-- Part 4: Bought the Blockbuster Chain and Grew It

He could have retired nicely, but that bored him.  With the money, he started buying dozens of small businesses like hotels and pest control companies.

In 1987, a business partner got him to check out Blockbuster, a small chain of video stores.  Video stores were usually small locally owned .mom and pop operations.  At the time, Huizenga didn't even own a VCR.  When he saw the Blockbuster stores it opened his mind to the idea.

The stores were clean and carried 10,000 titles, ten times more than most video stores at the time.  He loved the concept and thought it could become the McDonald's of video.  He and his two partners bought 43 % of the business for $19 million and he became chairman and president.

By 1991, the chain had grown to over 1,800 stores.

A Real Businessman.  --Cooter