H. Ross Perot, the billionaire and philanthropist from Texas who ran for president as an independent and third-party candidate 1992 and 1996, has died at the age of 89. A family spokesperson confirmed in a statement that Perot died early Tuesday morning at his home surrounded by his loving family.
“Mr. Perot was a true patriot and a dedicated humanitarian. He will be missed greatly.”
The billionaire mogul was born born June 27, 1930 in Texarkana, Texas. He served in the Navy from 1953-1957. before venturing into business and politics. Perot founded Electronic Data Systems (EDS) in 1962. He sold the company to General Motors in 1984. He founded Perot Systems in 1988 and sold it to Dell for $3.9 billion in 2009.
At the request of the governor, Perot entered Texas state politics in the early 1980s by proposing reforms to the public school system. He also became involved in the Vietnam War POW/MIA issue and worked tirelessly to try to free American POWs left behind after the war ended.
In 1992, Perot announced on the “Larry King Live” show that he would run for the president as an independent. He quickly accelerated in the polls to nearly tie frontrunners Bill Clinton and George Bush. He his platform included term limits for Congress, balancing the federal budget and reforming big government.
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