Brad M. Kelley
Brad Maurice Kelley | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1956 Bowling Green, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Known for | Founder of Commonwealth Brands; ninth-largest private landowner in the United States |
Brad Maurice Kelley (born 1956) is a prominent American entrepreneur recognized as the ninth-largest private landowner in the United States, with an estimated net worth of approximately US$2.2 billion as of 2018. He established the tobacco company Commonwealth Brands in 1991 and divested it in 2001 to Houchens Industries for around US$1 billion. By 2014, his portfolio included interests such as Calumet Farm, NC2 Media, and the Center for Innovation and Technology business park.
Early life
Kelley was born in Bowling Green, Kentucky and grew up in Simpson County, Kentucky. He attended Franklin-Simpson High School located in Franklin, Kentucky, where he earned recognition as Kentucky's high school conservationist of the year. At 17, he acquired his initial farm near his hometown and purchased his first warehouse by age 20. He briefly enrolled at Western Kentucky University but left to focus on entrepreneurial pursuits.
Career
During the 1980s, Kelley concentrated on converting unused tobacco warehouses amid the industry's downturn. He launched Commonwealth Brands in 1991, a budget cigarette producer headquartered in Bowling Green, Kentucky, which he sold for US$1 billion in 2001. Despite his involvement in tobacco manufacturing, Kelley has never been a smoker and has expressed a desire to see smoking eliminated.
In May 2012, Kelley assumed control of the historic Calumet Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, broadening his engagement in thoroughbred horse breeding and racing. He previously held the position of largest shareholder and served on the board of Churchill Downs. His thoroughbred colt Oxbow secured victory at the Preakness Stakes in 2013.
The Land Report's 2022 listing indicates that Kelley owns roughly one million acres of ranch land spanning Texas, Florida, and New Mexico, ranking him ninth among U.S. private landowners. This acreage has declined following the sale of several Texas ranch properties.
In March 2013, NC2 Media, under Kelley's ownership, purchased Lonely Planet from BBC Worldwide. Lonely Planet is a leading publisher of travel guidebooks with over 100 million copies printed globally. In December 2020, NC2 Media divested Lonely Planet to Red Ventures for an undisclosed amount.
In January 2020, Kelley placed approximately 500,000 acres of ranches located in West Texas on the market with an asking price totaling $404 million.
Personal life
Kelley is married with three children and maintains a low public profile, seldom granting interviews or utilizing email. He actively supports conservation efforts and environmental causes, including backing Punta Gorda, Florida's Center for Conservation of Tropical Ungulates, which safeguards species such as rhinoceroses, tapirs, wild cattle, and antelopes.