Ray Danner

Generated wealth through large stake in Shoney’s Inc., a business he entered in 1959 in Madison and expanded into Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken, Mike Rose Foods, Captain D’s, Pargos and Shoney’s Inns. Withdrew $140 million of capital from Shoney’s in 1988, after building chain to more than 1,300 stores. Remaining 4.2 million Shoney’s shares traded for $1.5 million in cash in 2004 after chain was acquired by Lone Star U.S. Acquisitions and U.S. Restaurant Properties. Holdings include Danner-Eller Golf Properties, owner of Hermitage Golf Course, Stonebridge Golf Course (Memphis), and a course in Greenville, S.C.; Fifth Quarter Restaurants; several car dealerships, including stakes in Neill-Sandler Toyota, Buick, Pontiac, GMC Truck, Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, and Toyota dealerships in Murfreesboro, Knoxville and Alcoa; and, according to Hoover’s Inc., stakes in salmon farms and eucalyptus tree farms in South America.