Glen Taylor Biography

Glen A. Taylor (born April 20, 1941) is an American businessman who is the majority owner of the Minnesota Timberwolves basketball team, owner of the Minnesota Lynx WNBA basketball team, and a former member of the Minnesota Senate.

Biography

Taylor grew up on a farm in Comfrey, Minnesota. He graduated from Comfrey High School in 1959, and received a B.S. from Minnesota State University, Mankato in 1962. In 1982 he participated in an executive education program for business owners and presidents at Harvard Business School.

During and after college, he worked at Carlson Wedding Service (later Carlson Craft), a Mankato print shop specializing in formal invitations. In 1975, company owner Bill Carlson wanted to retire, and Taylor offered to pay $2 million over the course of 10 years for the company. This purchase (which he paid off early) formed the basis for the Taylor Corporation, a privately held multinational printing and electronics company with more than 15,000 employees and based in North Mankato, Minnesota. Taylor continues to serve as chairman and CEO.

Taylor was a Republican Minnesota State Senator from 1981 to 1990, serving as assistant minority leader from 1983 to 1985 and Minority Leader from 1985 to 1988.

Taylor purchased majority ownership of the Minnesota Timberwolves basketball team in 1994. Taylor purchased the Minnesota Lynx WNBA basketball team in 1999. Taylor was in talks to buy the Minnesota Twins but nothing has come of it. In 2005, he was also rumored to be a possible buyer for the Minnesota Vikings, but was outbid by Zygi Wilf. He is currently the chairman of the Board of Governors for the NBA.

Taylor has been ranked No. 149 on the Forbes 400 and his company No. 254 on Forbes ranking of private United States corporations. His net worth was reported by Forbes to be $1.8 billion in 2012.