WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — Greenbrier Resort owner Jim Justice has scheduled an announcement for Monday afternoon concerning his political future.
Justice, 64, has said several times in recent weeks that he’s “seriously considering” a run for governor in 2016, when Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin’s second term expires.
No specifics were released about Monday’s announcement but hundreds of friends have been invited to the event, which is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at the White Sulphur Springs Civic Center.
Justice, who made his riches in coal, timber and corn, has a net worth of $1.69 billion, according to the latest estimate by Forbes Magazine.
He took on a more public role in 2009 with his purchase of The Greenbrier when the famed resort was facing bankruptcy. Since then, Justice has made a number of high-profile moves. such as creating the PGA Tour’s Greenbrier Classic, constructing a $25-million training facility for the New Orleans Saints and constructing a world-class tennis facility set to open soon.
Justice is also the coach of the Greenbrier East High School girls and boys basketball teams. He grew up in Raleigh County and earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Marshall University.