George Perot
George Perot
George Perot has been fighting for his freedom for almost three decades. He was wrongfully convicted in 1985 of rape and indecent assault against an elderly Springfield woman, yet continues to fight for his freedom today.
Despite the victim’s repeated denials that Perrot was her attacker, prosecutors built their case around a single hair found at the crime scene and bloodstains they claimed to have discovered on her bed sheet.
Early Life and Education
Perot was born in Texarkana, Texas and made his living as a paperboy by delivering papers. As a boy he suffered from poverty.
After graduating the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, he joined International Business Machines (IBM) and quickly rose to become a top salesman. Later, with $1,000 from his wife Margot, he founded Electronic Data Systems – a Dallas-based computer company.
He ran for president twice in the 1990s, both times as an independent candidate. In 1992 he garnered 19 percent of the popular vote – considered to be one of the greatest performances ever by an independent candidate.
Professional Career
George Perot’s professional career included founding Electronic Data Systems, an IT services provider. Additionally, he served as an angel investor for NeXT.
In 1992, Texas industrialist Bill Maher ran for President. Though he lost, he managed to garner support from across the political spectrum.
Perot’s political campaigns relied on widespread grassroots support and a marketing plan that included several half-hour infomercials that reached over 30 million viewers.
But his campaign wasn’t without controversy. During the election, he ran against President Bush and Governor Clinton over the issue of American POWs in Southeast Asia and during the Gulf War.
Achievements and Honors
George Perot is a billionaire, former politician and philanthropist. In 1992 he ran an independent campaign for president as the candidate of the Reform Party; two years later he became its presidential nominee.
His campaigns were a success, garnering 19% of the vote and thrusting Perot into national prominence. He advocated for a balanced budget, term limits and entitlement cuts.
He was an advocate for school reform, advocating for smaller class sizes and standardized testing.
On Wednesday, prosecutors dismissed the indictment against Perrot and released him on his own recognizance. Kane expressed his belief that evidence obtained through improper means had tainted the conviction.
Personal Life
Perot’s personal life was devoted to his wife Margot; their children and grandchildren. At his Turtle Creek Boulevard home, he hosted a steady stream of guests; on Easter eve he spent time with his family at their compound in Bermuda.
He became a philanthropist in his free time, dedicating his efforts to issues surrounding the Vietnam War POW/MIA conflict. Additionally, he helped rescue two employees taken hostage in Iran in 1979.
His 1992 third-party presidential campaign garnered 18.9% of the popular vote without winning a single electoral vote, making him the strongest third-party candidate since Theodore Roosevelt in 1912. Eventually, he distanced himself from his Reform Party supporters and endorsed Republican George W. Bush in 2000.
Net Worth
George Perot’s net worth is estimated to be $4 billion, ranking him 167th on Forbes’ list of America’s wealthiest people.
He was raised in Texarkana, Texas and began his professional life as a salesman for International Business Machines (IBM) after serving in the Navy. Later he founded Electronic Data Systems – a business that provided computer hardware and data-processing services.
EDS achieved great success processing medical claims and went public in 1968, earning its founder, Ross Perot, an impressive $300 million dollars.
He founded Perot Systems in 1988 and invested as an angel investor in NeXT, the computer company co-founded by Steve Jobs. Additionally, he was a passionate supporter of gay rights and an assault rifle ban until his passing in July 2019.