Dennis Washington

Dennis R. Washington is an American, Montana-based industrialist who owns, or co-owns controlling interest in, a large consortium of privately held companies collectively known as the Washington Companies and, in Canada, another collection of companies known as the Seaspan Marine Corporation.

• Dennis Washington parlayed an early love of machinery into a diversified business group called Washington Companies.
• Washington owns a copper mine, a regional railroad and stakes in two diamond mines.
• After working for his uncle’s construction business, he struck out on his own with a $30,000 loan to start Washington Construction.
• Montana’s richest person also has an investment in Seaspan Corp., cofounded by son Kyle, which now has more than 110 container ships.
• Though he didn’t step onto a boat until age 45, he has since fixed up 9 including the one featured in the movie “Overboard.”
• He and his wife, Phyllis, have given $840 million to their foundation, which in turn has doled out $276 million to approximately 1,000 groups.