Empire builder: Larry Miller has come a long way since his auto-parts days

Miller's empire has grown large enough that virtually everyone in Utah has done business with at least one of his companies.

In preparation for a 25th anniversary celebration in 2004 of his first car dealership, Miller commissioned Dan Jones & Associates to do a poll about how many people in Utah do business with him. The answer: 99 percent have. That's counting people who have watched KJZZ-TV. Otherwise, the answer is 86 percent.

For example, the poll showed:

• 68 percent of Utahns have attended a Utah Jazz game.

• 67 percent have attended another event at the Delta Center.

• 93 percent have watched KJZZ-TV.

• 43 percent have been to the Mayan restaurant.

• 25 percent have purchased items from a Fanzz store.

• 18 percent have purchased a new or used car from a Miller dealership.

• 18 percent have had a vehicle serviced at a Miller dealership, and 16 percent have purchased auto parts there.

• 42 percent have attended a movie at the Megaplex 17 at Jordan Commons, and 29 percent have attended movies at the Megaplex 12 at The Gateway. (The survey was done before Miller bought theaters at Thanksgiving Point and before he completed a new megaplex in South Jordan.)

The bottom line(s)

Miller has compiled some interesting statistics about his businesses.

He has 6,500 employees. Those in Utah appear to be enough to put him among the top 10 to 15 employers in the state, according to estimates by the Governor's Office of Economic Development.

He sells more than 75,000 vehicles a year. "We are probably the ninth-largest auto group in the country for both new and used car sales," he says. Since his first dealership opened, he has sold more than 880,000 cars.

The Utah Jazz attracted more than 16 million attendees. The Mayan has had about 2 million customers. Miller has sold more than 10 million theater tickets. Fanzz has made more than 5 million sales.

His net worth is a public mystery, and he declines to provide estimates. Some printed sources have put it around $490 million — but that could be low, considering he says the Jazz alone are likely worth more than $386 million.

"I know my net worth does not begin with a 'b' " as in billion, Miller says, giving the only hint about his net worth.

"That's not heady enough to put me on the Forbes 500 list," he says.

But, again, it's not bad for a former auto parts counter clerk.

And his little empire is still growing — quickly.

---

E-mail: lee@desnews.com