Posted on March 17, 2014 by Lety Laurel
Red McCombs , chairman and founder of McCombs Enterprises, shared his wisdom with business students during his presentation of the Frost Distinguished Lecture in the College of Business in March.
To an overflowing audience, McCombs offered some stories from his past and expressed his excitement for speaking with the students.
“I’m a deal junkie and have been since I was 10 years old,” said McCombs, consistently named one of Forbes magazine’s top 400 richest Americans and among the world’s billionaires.
“When you put your head on your pillow every night, I want you to be excited about what you learned today. The people who made it possible for you to be here, expect you to do it better and faster for the betterment of mankind.”
McCombs noted that he is influenced most by Warren Buffet, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs. “Buffet doesn’t slow down. He started with a few hundred dollars and now look at him. Gates used his brain to lead to his success, he said.”
“Today is the most exciting time in the world for people to be alive. There is more opportunity and more things to be done.”
In response to a student’s question McCombs concluded by saying, “The best thing that ever happened to me was being born in the State of Texas to loving, caring and sharing parents. They always encouraged me to go for it, and that is the message I leave with you.”
McCombs is founder of the Red McCombs Automotive Group in San Antonio, co-founder of Clear Channel Communications, a former owner of the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Vikings, and today is the lead investor in the Circuit of The Americas, a world-class motorsports and entertainment venue in Austin, Texas.
The Frost Distinguished Lecture Series, which began in 1988, presents a forum for business and community leaders to share their experiences in business so that students can broaden their understanding of the business world and the individuals who lead it.
Wendy Frost—
Please send your comments to: wendy.frost@utsa.edu