J. Joe Ricketts is an American entrepreneur, billionaire, and philanthropist. Born in 1941 in Nebraska City, he paid his way through college working as a janitor and hospital orderly. In 1974, with $12,500 he co-founded a company that would later become Ameritrade. By lowering costs and embracing technology-driven trading, Joe transformed investing and empowered millions to take control of their financial lives. In 2020, he sold Ameritrade for $26 billion.
With Ameritrade, Joe made investing accessible to self-directed investors by reducing costs, lowering entry barriers, and pioneering telephone and online trading.
Committed to diverse learning pathways beyond four-year degrees, Joe promotes critical thinking skills and vocational training. His Opportunity Education Foundation has supported over a million students internationally with personalized learning tools and digital curricula, including initiatives in Tanzania.
Through the Ricketts Conservation Foundation, Joe collaborates with public and private partners to protect at-risk species like Wyoming’s Common Loons and fund research in the Yellowstone Ecosystem, also training future conservationists.
Having been a citizen of Wyoming for three decades, Joe considers Wyoming home. Through investing in responsible tourism, Joe wants to make the state’s natural beauty more accessible while lifting up local communities.
Joe believes development isn’t an either-or choice between conservation and economic development, and that it’s possible to protect nature while creating much-needed jobs and growth in Wyoming.
