Lahore-born entrepreneur among US richest people
Shahid Khan – File photo by AP
LAHORE, Sept 21: Born into a middle class family of Lahore in 1950, today Shahid Khan, now a US national, stands among Forbes’ 2012 list of America’s billionaires. Now he lives in Southwest Florida’s posh beach town of Naples.
Mr Khan owns auto parts supplier Flex-N-Gate and the Jacksonville Jaguars. He ranks 179th on the 2012 Forbes 400 with an estimated net worth of $2.5 billion.
Microsoft Corp co-founder Bill Gates remains the richest man in the US by far, as the tech and philanthropy giant took the top spot on the Forbes 400 list for the 19th year running, with a net worth of $66 billion.
Though not much information is available about Mr Khan’s life and education in Lahore, according to Forbes magazine his family was in construction business in Lahore when he moved to the United States at the age of 16 to study at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign.
About his early days in the US, the magazine quoted Mr khan as saying that he spent his first night in a $2 per night room at the Champaign YMCA. His first job in the US was washing dishes for $1.20 an hour. He graduated from the UIUC School of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering with a BSc in 1971.
He proved to be a successful entrepreneur when after his university education, Mr Khan invented a new truck bumper design that shaved weight off for fuel efficiency considerations. He never looked back and soon built his company with his $16,000 saving and a bank loan. Soon he developed the company into a $3.4 billion manufacturing juggernaut that supplied the biggest automakers in the world.
Nine months ago, he bought the Jaguars, fulfilling a longtime dream to own an NFL franchise.
Now, Mr Khan is focusing on giving back to his adopted country. He donated $10 million in 2011 to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Back in Lahore, a very few people are aware of Mr Khan’s place on the Forbes list of the 400 billionaires.
“I only know that he is a Pakistani and he has purchased a football team in the US,” said Fawad Asghar, a sports journalist.
According to Muhammad Imran, a business graduate, Mr Khan is a perfect example of brain drain for Pakistanis, and a proof of American dream. He said Mr Khan was giving back to the Americans since the US gave him a lot.
“Pakistan offers opportunities to a few; scores of intelligent people with potential entrepreneur skills on Lahore streets can make to the Forbes list if they are given a chance,” he said.
“Well done, Shahid Khan,” said Shahid Bhatti, also an auto parts dealer on Guru Mangat Road.
He said though he too wanted to manufacture fuel efficient bumpers, the big companies and his financial constraints would never let him fulfill his dream.
“That’s why I am just called Sheeda. I need a chance to be Shahid Khan,” he said.
The main reason most people fail to do well anywhere is their lack of honesty, integrity and hard work.Pakistan, a nation is the mirror image of its people. There is nothing there for people to be pround off except “extremism”
He’s officially the richest Pakistani in the world I think.
You have made us Muslims proud. If there are no land lords Pakistan will also be like US – all free, free to make good laws, free to educate themselves, free to give themselves law and order, free to have free entrepreneurship and go as high as one can. Give us law and order we will make Pakistan, America.
Mr Syed Shah why do you have to write, that you have made us Muslim proud.why can’t you just write that, Mr Shaheed Khan you havemade us Pakistanis Proud, I am a Pakistani Christian and proud to be Pakistani, National should come before my reglion may I also say Proud to be Christian.Long live Pakistan
Long live the American dream!When the dignity of labor is respected the worker can work miracles..
This is old news. Dawn came to know now. I live in USA. Iread about it 2yrs ago. Please give something new. Shahid Butt
And you Pakistanis burn US Flag when US has nothing to do with blasphemous video. Shame on you
I love Lahore, I was born there myself, however I wished the writer had stuck to say “Pakistani born” instead of any specific city….he may have unintentionally left out other citizens of Pakistan from feeling pride.
With so many American flags burnt in Pakistan in last few days, calling oneself Pakistani in America or for that matter anywhere in the world will not be a good idea.
@ Zak Well said!!!! Pakistan Zindabad!!!!!
A boy from Lahore made good in the land of opportunities & pursuit of happiness.
We are proud of you. Stay in US dude. This is no place to come back you. This nation does not deserve you.
I am proud of Shahid Khan as an individual first than any thing, He focused on education first and then he looked for his livelihood. He is not ashamed of patty jobs he did, Actually here he thought the ways to go on. He honestly and devotedly worked on what he had in his mind.and unpolluted environments ( where there are no obstacles, hurdles, no bhatta, things go smoothly and equally and law prevails) helped him succeed and flourish. I am proud of him that he succeeded.He is not a person born with silver spoon or from vaderas/sardars/chowdhries like people. Alas can we see it in our Pakistan. Can there be any Shahid Khan in Pakistan Masroor Durrani
He looks like Ron Jeremy.
Be pakistani and proud of your country. Bad leadership does not mean a bad country. Pakistan was a gift to us ( see Indian occupied kashmir and palistine). sometimes when I meet pakistanis abroad specially middle east, when they know I am from pakistan they ask me from which city and some time which area as well. I tell them before no one ever asked such a question, and it does not matter either. Just learn to honour all pakistanis wherever as they are the biggest assets around the world.
brilliant
Shahid Khan worked very hard to become billionaire and reach this level. It was years and years of effort to get to this level. Its unfair to be jealous of him. It feels great some one from Pakistani origin able to make a giant leap. He is taking right to step to pay back to his adopted country as it gave him the oppurtunity to succeed. However, sadly in Pakistan any one who works hard never gets rewarded and it forces many of talented people to go abroad.
Being a Pakistani or American plays little role when you are a valuable individual.
InshaAllah a day will come when Pakis will be revered.
keep wishing
I was born in Canada and have been here for all my life. I am now 44 and still consider myself to be proud of being Pakistani. When other Pakistanis are successful in any part of the world in any field or sport it gives me immense pride and happiness. Thank God that we have a country and thank God that despite all of our past hardships, we are still surviving and Insha-Allah will be a becon for the rest of the world, both Islamic and non Islamic. We are at the cross roads of civilizations and history, and have to move FORWARD!!
I am also from Pakistan, born and lived there first 26 years of my life. Have been living in US for the last 28 years. Very sad to say, when I was in Pakistan, I didn’t find many true Pakistani’s there. There are more Pakistanis in US then are in Pakistan. There are more Punjabis, Sindhis, Balochis, Pahtans and Mohajirs in Pakistan and also a lot of Sunnis and Shias and a lot of others, but very few Pakistanis.
Well Said. Keep it up. You made me very happy today fellow Pakistani.
Good for him. He would have probably grown a beard if he were living in the Land of Pure.