What Is Ron Pratte's Net Worth?
Ron Pratte is an American businessman, entrepreneur, and car collector who has a net worth of $350 million. Ron Pratte earned his wealth as the founder and former CEO of the Pratte Development Company, Inc., one of the biggest wood framing and concrete foundation companies in the United States. He is famous for his elaborate car collection. Pratte Development Co. is located in Phoenix, Arizona, and is a privately held company that manufacturers structural wood products. Ron sold the development company to Pulte Homes at the peak of the housing boom in Arizona. Due to the great timing of this deal, Pratte was able to cash out before the housing market crashed.
This Arizona multi-millionaire is a big car buff. In his vast collection of fine automobiles are a Shelby GT500 he purchased in 2008 for nearly $650,000 and a $4.1 million 1950 GM Futurliner Tour Bus. Ron started building his vast car collection at the B-J auction in 2003 by buying 52 cars. More of his cars include the last Stingray, the first T-bird off the assembly line, the Oldsmobile F-88 show car, and the 1955 Plymouth Fury used in the Stephen King movie "Christine."
Early Life
Ron Pratte is from Chandler, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. As a teenager, he took a job at a gas station and dreamt of someday owning incredible cars like the ones he saw at the station. After he graduated from high school, Ron launched the Phoenix-based "wood framing and concrete foundation company" Pratte Development Company, Inc. The company eventually grew to employ 4,000 workers and would sometimes build up to 60 houses per day. Ron sold Pratte Development Company to Pulte Homes during the housing boom.
Car Collection
Pratte sold his car collection at the 2015 Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction. According to the Barrett-Jackson website:
"In an unheard-of move that sent ripples across the collector car industry, the collection sold in two waves, with over 100 vehicles selling on Tuesday of auction week and the last 30+ selling on Super Saturday. The collection in its entirety sold for more than $40.44 million, led by the Super Snake selling for $5.1 million and the Bonneville Special for $3.3 million."
Notable cars Ron has collected include a 2007 Blastolene B-702 custom-built Roadster ($550,000), a 1941 custom Packard D'Agostino known as "Gable" ($495,000), a 1955 Pontiac that was featured in an episode of "I Love Lucy" ($220,000), and the titular 1955 Plymouth Fury from the Stephen King film "Christine" ($198,000).
Personal Life
Pratte has given to charity almost as much as he has spent on cars. He donated the Tony Stewart race car to the Gwynn Foundation after winning it at an auction, and the Gwynn Foundation then sold the race car a second time and raised $165,000 to buy electric wheelchairs for kids. Due to the bids received in the first auction for Stewarts car and the proceeds from the second auction, a total of $500,000 was raised to help support those afflicted with Muscular Dystrophy. He also purchased the 2006 Jeff Gordon Monte Carlo for $500,000, and the proceeds went to the National Marrow Donor Program.
Sky Pine Estate
In August 2020, Pratte put his lakefront mansion in Worley, Idaho, on the market for $30 million. The estate is known as Skypine, and it was built in 2011. The four-bedroom home measures 16,620 square feet, and the 27-acre property features a manmade waterfall and a 2,400 square foot boathouse. The mansion sold for $27.5 million in December 2020. Here's a video tour of the estate:
