In Dallas, Brad Townsend profiles Excel Communications Founder KENNY TROUTT, who is "royalty in the sport of kings" and founded American Thoroughbred horse breeding and racing farm WinStar Farm. Though he "keeps a much lower profile, he’s perhaps as accomplished in his field of play" as Cowboys Owner JERRY JONES and Mavericks Owner MARK CUBAN. Just 14 years after its founding, WinStar "has risen to powerhouse status in the horse racing and breeding industries." Excel sold for $3.5B in '98, and Troutt "retired as CEO" in '99 and Chair a year later. He was "only 52 and a billionaire" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 5/1).
HELLO, NEIGHBOR: D-backs Managing General Partner KEN KENDRICK "is being sued by his neighbor" in Aspen after he "allegedly ordered that 16 cottonwood trees be cut down to better his downvalley view." The couple and Kendrick "share a property line" (ASPEN DAILY NEWS, 5/1).
NAMES; First Lady MICHELLE OBAMA and Univ. of Michigan football coach JIM HARBAUGH will visit Wayne State Univ. on Friday to "encourage young people" to get a college education (DETROIT NEWS, 5/1)....New VCU men's basketball coach WILL WADE signed a contract that will pay him $1M annually over five years. Wade's "base salary is $450,000," and he "also receives $550,000 in supplemental compensation" (RICHMOND.com, 4/30)....ESPN's ROBERT FLORES on Saturday will be recognized by the Univ. of Houston with the Rising Star Award for Achievement (CHRON.com, 4/30)....IndyCar team owner SARAH FISHER “plans to open” a 60,000-square-foot indoor karting track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Speedway Indoor Karting “will be built on Main Street.” Fisher said that it is scheduled to open in April ‘16 to “coordinate with the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500” (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 5/1)....U.S. Army serviceman KANE BERNAS "shared an Alaska Airlines flight to Seattle" with Seahawks QB RUSSELL WILSON, who "upgraded his ticket to first class" (ESPN.com, 4/30)....Former NFLer PLAXICO BURRESS “has been indicted on charges he failed to pay $47,903” in New Jersey state income taxes. He now faces “one count of issuing a bad check or electronic funds transfer, and one count of willful failure to pay state tax,” both third-degree charges that “carry a maximum penalty of five years in state prison and a $15,000 fine" (NJ.com, 4/30)....Rapper STYME has filmed a new music video, "DCRising," which is "an obvious homage" to the Wizards' marketing hashtag" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 4/30).
