Robert Ralph Parsons (born November 27, 1950) is an American entrepreneur, billionaire, and philanthropist. In 1997, he founded the GoDaddy group of companies, including domain name registrar GoDaddy.com, reseller registrar Wild West Domains, and Blue Razor Domains. In July 2011, Parsons sold approximately 70 percent of GoDaddy to a private equity consortium and resigned his position as CEO. In June 2014, he stepped down from his position as Executive Chairman and served on the board until 2018.
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Parsons is the founder and CEO of YAM Worldwide, Inc., which is home to his entrepreneurial ventures in the fields of powersports, golf, real estate, and marketing.
In 2012, Parsons and his wife Renee founded The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation, which provides funding, primarily in the greater Phoenix area, to nonprofit organizations. In December 2013, they joined The Giving Pledge, an initiative started by Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett that requires signators to commit at least half of their fortunes to charity.
As of September 2020, Parsons is ranked No. 378 on the Forbes 400 list of The Richest People in America.
What is Bob Parsons’ Net Worth?
Bob Parsons is an American entrepreneur and philanthropist who has a net worth of $4 billion. Bob Parsons earned his fortune by founding the GoDaddy group of companies. He also founded YAM Worldwide, through which he is involved in various ventures related to sports, real estate, and marketing. As a philanthropist, Parsons co-founded the Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation with his wife in 2012.
Net Worth: $4 Billion
Date of Birth: Nov 27, 1950 (72 years old)
Place of Birth: Baltimore
Gender: Male
Nationality: United States of America
Early life and education
Parsons was born in Baltimore, Maryland. His family lived in Highlandtown and struggled financially as both of his parents were hard-core gamblers. His mother was a homemaker while his father worked as a furniture salesman for Montgomery Ward. Parsons has said about those days, “I’ve earned everything I’ve ever received. Very little was given to me. I’ve been working as long as I can remember. Whether it was delivering or selling newspapers, pumping gas, working in construction or in a factory, I’ve always been making my own money.”
After nearly flunking out of high school, Parsons enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. He was assigned to the 26th Marine Regiment, which was attached to and operated as part of the 1st Marine Division. In 1969, he served as a rifleman in the Delta Company of the 1st Battalion, 26th Marines, during a tour of duty in Vietnam, in the Quảng Nam Province.
He was wounded in action, medically evacuated, and spent two months at a naval hospital recovering from his wounds. As a result of his service and injury, he earned the Combat Action Ribbon, the Vietnam Gallantry Cross, and the Purple Heart.
In 1975, Parsons obtained an accounting degree from the University of Baltimore, graduating magna cum laude. He then began his career in IT and software sales industry
The University of Baltimore conferred an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree on May 21, 2008.
Parsons Technology
In 1984, he founded Parsons Technology in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and began selling MoneyCounts, a home accounting program. In late 1987, Parsons was able to quit his job and focus completely on selling and overseeing growth of MoneyCounts. Eventually, Parsons Technology grew to be a 1,000-employee, privately held company. On September 27, 1994, Parsons completed the sale of Parsons Technology to Intuit, Inc. for $64 million.
GoDaddy
In 1997, Parsons founded the Internet domain registrar and web hosting company Jomax Technologies in Phoenix, Arizona. The company was eventually renamed GoDaddy and given a logo with a cartoon man sporting green sunglasses and messy orange hair.
In the summer of 2011, Parsons sold around 70% of GoDaddy to a private equity consortium and resigned from his position as CEO. He remained with the company as executive chairman through mid-2014, and as a board member through most of 2018. Upon Parson’s departure, GoDaddy was the world’s largest web host by market share, with more than 62 million registered domains.
YAM Worldwide, Inc.
In 2012, Parsons founded the Scottsdale, Arizona-based YAM Worldwide Inc., “home of [Parsons’] entrepreneurship operations … in the fields of power sports, golf, real estate, marketing, innovation and philanthropy.”
YAM Capital is YAM Worldwide’s private lending and investment arm, specializing in commercial real estate lending and acquisition of closely held middle-market companies.
In 2013, Parsons acquired Martz Agency, a 25-employee public relations firm in Scottsdale, Arizona. In 2015, Bob Parsons rebranded the firm to BIG YAM, The Parsons Agency, a full-service advertising agency in Scottsdale, Arizona.
In 2016, Parsons launched Sneaky Big Studios in Scottsdale at the YAM Worldwide Center where much of YAM Worldwide is based. Sneaky Big Studio provides production, post-production, and recording studio services including editorial, visual effects, color finishing, and audio.
In 2017, Parsons established The YAMWOOD Foundry, a business that creates custom, unique furniture, signs, and lighting fixtures for residential and commercial projects.
Motorcycle dealerships
YAM Worldwide subsidiaries LZ Delta, L.L.C. and MS LZ Delta, L.L.C. operate Harley-Davidson and multi-brand motorcycle dealerships in Arizona, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Parsons is also founder and CEO of Scottsdale-based Spooky Fast Customs, which creates customized motorcycle designs and fabrications.
In April 2014, Parsons announced plans to build the “world’s largest Harley-Davidson dealership” in Scottsdale. Harley-Davidson of Scottsdale opened in 2015, the two-story, 150,000 square-foot dealership includes a lingerie boutique, tattoo and piercing parlor, arcade, movie theater, and wedding chapel.
Real estate holdings
Since 2012, YAM Properties has purchased more than 675,000 square feet of commercial real estate in Arizona’s Valley of the Sun region. YAM properties include:
- Scottsdale Grayhawk Center, 147,084-square-foot retail plaza, acquired for $36.885 million
- Retail and office projects Citadelle Plaza and II Palazzo, acquired for $27.3 million
- Arrowhead Professional Center, a 71,066-square-foot office project, acquired for $13.25 million
- Retail space in two properties that total 66,983 square feet, acquired for $8.575 million
- McDowell Mountain Marketplace, an 84,087-square-foot retail center, acquired for $14.125 million
- Centerpoint on Mill, a 127,027-square-foot mixed-use development, acquired for $38.35 million
- Hayden Station, a 107,508-square-foot mixed-used development, acquired for $26.5 million
- The Cornerstone shopping center, acquired for $29 million
- Westgate Entertainment District, 533,000 square feet of retail, office and residential space; Located adjacent to Gila River Arena, in Glendale, Arizona. It was acquired in June 2018 for $133 million
- Shops at Norterra, paid $108 million in cash for the open-air shopping and restaurant development at Interstate 17 and Happy Valley Road
