Shahid Khan.

[I Ronic]

FORBES Magazine has named the Chairman amongst their 250 top business leaders on the 250th Birthday of America poll.

He comes in at number 94 in their list.

His invention of the one-piece truck bumper turned his company Flex-N-Gate into an auto parts giant; the billionaire (net worth: $16.5 billion) has also donated tens of millions of dollars to his alma mater, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

There's no mention of us or the Jags but fingers crossed he'll need to find a shelf for some silverware this season.

[Milo]

Out of interest, what's the benefit of a one piece truck bumper?

[I Ronic]

Out of interest, what's the benefit of a one piece truck bumper?

It turns you into a millionaire!

[Snibbo]

Interesting. Here's a bit more info:

Khan, an immigrant from Pakistan who studied engineering at the University of Illinois, developed the innovative deep-draw bumper design in 1978 while working for the company.

 This single-piece design eliminated rust-prone welds, improving durability and weight efficiency compared to traditional multi-piece assemblies.

In 1980, Khan used personal savings and an SBA loan to purchase Flex-N-Gate from his former employer.

He merged his startup, Bumper Works, with Flex-N-Gate, leveraging the bumper's success to secure major contracts with Toyota, GM, and Ford.
Under Khan's leadership, the company captured over 85% of the worldwide pickup truck and SUV bumper market by 2000.

Khan is now the owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Fulham F.C., with a net worth estimated at $16.5 billion.