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Robert Bass

Robert Muse Bass (born 19 March 1948^[1]) is an American billionaire businessman and philanthropist. He was the chairman of Aerion Corporation, an American aerospace firm in Reno, Nevada.^[2] In 2018, he had a net worth of $5 billion.^[3] Bass has served on the Texas Highway & Public Transportation Commission.^[4]

Robert Muse Bass was born on 19 March 1948 in Fort Worth, Texas. His father, Perry Richardson Bass, was an investor, philanthropist and sailor. His mother, Nancy Lee Bass, was a philanthropist. He has three brothers: Lee Marshall Bass, Ed Bass, and Sid Bass. His uncle is Sid Richardson.^{[citation needed]}

Bass attended The Governor's Academy, and graduated from Yale University, where he received a bachelor of arts degree.^[5] He received a master in business administration from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.^[5]

Bass's father founded Bass Brothers Enterprises in 1960 after inheriting $11 million from his great uncle Sid W. Richardson in 1959.^[6]

In 1985, Robert Bass founded the Robert M. Bass Group as his personal investment company.^[4] In 1990, it was renamed Keystone, Inc., after the Keystone Field in West Texas from which the Bass family derived their fortune.^[7] He founded Oak Hill Capital Partners as a family office in 1986.^[8]

In April 1987, Bass and other owners of TFBA Limited Partnership bought and took private Taft Broadcasting for $1.43 billion.^[9]

In March 1988, Bass sold the Plaza HoteltoDonald Trump, thanks to their mutual friend Tom Barrack.^[10] In April 1988, he led a buy-out of Bell & Howell.^[11] In June 1988, Bass made an offer to purchase Macmillan Inc., the publishing and information company, but the company responded with a restructuring.^[4]

Bass formerly served as chairman of the board at Aerion Supersonic, a developer of supersonic business jets. Bass was replaced by Tom Vice as chairman upon the announcement of a partnership between Boeing and Aerion on February 5, 2019.^[12]

Bass has served as chairman of Stanford University's board of trustees,^[5] Stanford Management Company, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Cook Children’s Medical Center . He is a trustee of Stanford University,^[5] a director of Stanford Management Company, a trustee of the Brookings Institution,^[13] a trustee of Rockefeller University, Groton School, Middlesex School, and the Amon Carter Museum.

Bass and his wife Anne donated $13 million to fund the renovation of Yale's Cross Campus Library, which was renamed the Bass Library.^[14] In 2005, they donated $30 million to the Stanford Graduate School of Business.^[15] In 2013, they donated $50 million to Duke University to support Bass Connections, an initiative to encourage cross-disciplinary collaboration and studies.^[16] In 2001, Bass and his wife donated $10 million to Duke to strengthen undergraduate teaching. They also donated $10 million in 1996 to establish the Bass Society of Fellows at Duke.^[17] They also contributed to the creation of Bass Hall in Downtown Fort Worth (performing arts venue located in Fort Worth, Texas that routinely hosts musical and theatrical performances).^[18]

Bass is married to Anne T. Bass.^[5] They have four children.^[2] One daughter, Margaret, was featured in a Wall Street Journal article as an example of a student whose wealth and family connections helped her receive admission to an elite university.^[19][20] They reside in the town of Westover Hills near Fort Worth, Texas, and also have homes in New York City and in Washington, D.C.^[21][22][23] They also have a home in Seal Harbor on the southeast side of Mount Desert Island, Maine (south of Acadia National Park).^[24]

• Aerion Corporation
• The Bass Brothers