John W. Henry facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John W. Henry
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Henry in 2008
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John William Henry II
September 13, 1949 Quincy, Illinois, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Victor Valley College (dropped out) University of California (dropped out) |
| Occupation | Principal owner of Boston Red Sox Pittsburgh Penguins Liverpool F.C. The Boston Globe Co-owner of RFK Racing |
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| Children | Sara Henry, John Henry, Sienna Henry |
| Parent(s) | John W. Henry Sr. Lois Henry |
John W. Henry (born September 13, 1949) is a famous American businessman. He started his own investment company called John W. Henry & Company. Today, he is best known as the main owner of several big sports teams. These include the Liverpool Football Club (a soccer team), the Boston Red Sox (a baseball team), and the Pittsburgh Penguins (a hockey team). He also owns The Boston Globe newspaper. In October 2024, his wealth was estimated to be around $6 billion.
Contents
Early Life and Education
John William Henry II was born on September 13, 1949, in Quincy, Illinois. His parents, John Sr. and Lois Henry, were soybean farmers. John spent his childhood living in both Illinois and Arkansas.
When he was 15, his family moved to Apple Valley, California. This move was because John had asthma, and the new climate was better for his health. He graduated from Victor Valley High School in Victorville, California.
After high school, John went to a few colleges, including Victor Valley College and different campuses of the University of California. He studied philosophy. He didn't finish college because he spent a lot of time playing music. He toured with two bands called Elysian Fields and Hillary.
Building a Business Career
John Henry started his career by trading farm products like corn and soybeans. He wanted to learn how to protect farmers from price changes. In 1981, he started his own company, John W. Henry & Company. It was a firm that managed money for clients.
His company became very successful. By 1983, it had grown a lot. In 1989, he moved his company to Westport, Connecticut. Later, he opened another office in Florida.
John W. Henry & Company (JWH)
JWH started taking clients in 1982. The company used a special system to make trading decisions. This system was designed to remove human emotions from trading. It focused only on how prices changed.
In 2006, Boston magazine estimated John Henry's wealth at $1.1 billion. However, his company faced some challenges later on. In 2012, JWH announced it would stop managing money for clients. The amount of money they managed had dropped significantly.
Becoming a Sports Owner
John Henry loved sports from a young age. He was a big fan of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team. After making his fortune, he decided to buy a professional sports team.
His first step into sports ownership was in 1989. He bought a Minor League Baseball team called the Tucson Toros. He also helped start a winter baseball league in Florida for retired major league players. His team, the West Palm Beach Tropics, won the league in 1989–90.
John Henry also tried to buy other sports teams. He looked into buying the Orlando Magic (basketball) and the Colorado Rockies (baseball). He also tried to get a hockey team in Florida, which became the Tampa Bay Lightning.
In 1991, he bought a small part of the New York Yankees baseball team. Then, in 1999, he became the full owner of the Florida Marlins. He sold the Marlins in 2002.
Fenway Sports Group
In 2001, John Henry joined with Tom Werner and other investors. They formed a company called New England Sports Ventures (NESV). Their goal was to buy the Boston Red Sox baseball team. They succeeded, and John Henry became the main owner of the Red Sox. Tom Werner became the chairman.
NESV later changed its name to Fenway Sports Group in 2011. This group now owns many sports assets. These include the Liverpool F.C. soccer team, the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey team, and Fenway Park (the Red Sox stadium).
Boston Red Sox Success
When John Henry bought the Red Sox, he decided not to tear down Fenway Park. Instead, he chose to renovate it. He added new seats, including some on top of the famous Green Monster wall. This allowed Fenway Park to celebrate its 100th birthday in 2012.
Henry and Werner wanted to help the Red Sox win. They aimed to "break the Curse of the Bambino." This was a belief that the Red Sox were cursed after selling Babe Ruth to the Yankees. They hired smart people, including baseball expert Bill James.
They achieved their goal in the 2004 World Series, when the Red Sox won! They beat the St. Louis Cardinals, John Henry's childhood favorite team. The Red Sox also won the World Series in 2007, 2013, and 2018.
In 2017, John Henry supported changing the name of Yawkey Way. This street next to Fenway Park was named after a former owner. Henry felt it was important to change the name because the Red Sox were the last team in Major League Baseball to allow Black players. The street was renamed Jersey Street in 2018.
Liverpool Football Club
In October 2010, Fenway Sports Group took over Liverpool F.C., a famous English soccer club. The previous owners were not popular with fans. They had put the club in debt and made promises they didn't keep.
Under John Henry's ownership, Liverpool started winning trophies again. On February 26, 2012, Liverpool won the 2012 Football League Cup Final. This was their first trophy in six years.
John Henry made some tough decisions about coaches. In May 2012, he fired club legend Kenny Dalglish. Later, he hired Brendan Rodgers. Rodgers almost led Liverpool to win the Premier League title in the 2013–14 season. However, after some poor results, Henry fired Rodgers in October 2015.
Then, John Henry hired Jürgen Klopp as the new coach. This was a very popular decision with fans. Klopp led Liverpool to great success. They reached the Champions League final in 2018. In 2019, they won the Champions League! In the 2019–20 season, Liverpool won the Premier League title. This was their first league title in 30 years.
In April 2021, Liverpool was part of a plan to create a new "European Super League." This idea was very unpopular with fans because it would have changed soccer forever. Liverpool and other English clubs quickly pulled out of the plan after a huge backlash. John Henry apologized to the fans for this decision.
NASCAR Racing
In 2007, John Henry's Fenway Sports Group bought half of Roush Racing, a stock car racing team. Their driver, Matt Kenseth, won the Auto Club 500 in February 2007. This was Henry's first win as a NASCAR owner. In 2009, the team won the famous Daytona 500 with Matt Kenseth. Today, Henry is listed as an owner of the #17 Ford car driven by Chris Buescher.
iRacing.com Motorsport Simulations
In 2004, John Henry and David Kaemmer started a company called iRacing.com Motorsport Simulations. This company creates realistic racing simulation games. These games are for both real-world racers and people who love racing games. The service officially launched in 2008.
Newspaper Ownership
In August 2013, John Henry agreed to buy The Boston Globe newspaper. He also bought the Telegram & Gazette newspaper in Worcester, Massachusetts. He bought these from The New York Times Company for $70 million. The Boston Globe described Henry as a "shy businessman with a history of bold bets."
In 2014, Henry sold the Worcester Telegram & Gazette newspaper.
Awards and Honors
- Four-time World Series champion as the main owner of the Boston Red Sox.
- 2024 Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement. This award was presented by Jimmy Page, a famous guitarist from the band Led Zeppelin.
Personal Life
John Henry enjoys playing baseball simulation games. One of his favorites is Out of the Park Baseball.
See also
- Elysian (yacht)
