H. Wayne Huizenga, Builder of the Blockbuster Video Chain, Dies at 80

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/n...er-blockbuster-video-chain-dies-at-80-1096903

H. Wayne Huizenga, a college dropout who built Blockbuster Entertainment into a thriving business that eventually went to Viacom in a $8.4 billion deal before its ultimate demise, has died. He was 80.

Huizenga died Thursday night at his home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, after a decades-long battle with cancer, Bob Henninger, executive vice president for Huizenga Holdings, told the Sun-Sentinel newspaper.

Huizenga also was founding owner of baseball's Florida Marlins and the NHL's Florida Panthers — expansion teams that played their first games in 1993. He bought the NFL's Miami Dolphins and their stadium for $168 million in 1994 from the children of founder Joe Robbie but had sold all three teams by 2009.

The Marlins won the 1997 World Series, and the Panthers reached the Stanley Cup Final in 1996, but Huizenga's beloved Dolphins never reached a Super Bowl while he owned the team.

"If I have one disappointment, the disappointment would be that we did not bring a championship home," Huizenga said shortly after he sold the Dolphins to New York real estate billionaire Stephen Ross. "It's something we failed to do."
In 1987, Huizenga, who had co-founded and made millions from the trash-disposal company Waste Management Inc., entered the video rental business when he acquired several Blockbuster stores. At the time, there were about 20 locations in the chain.

Dang now the former leader of Waste Management and BlockBuster is dead.

 

[itsTheRolyPoly]

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/n...er-blockbuster-video-chain-dies-at-80-1096903



Dang now the former leader of Waste Management and BlockBuster is dead.

I remember him better as the sports owner since I lived in Miami all my life.

 

[MarcB]

How odd is it that founders of two nearly defunct retailers - Blockbuster and Toys R Us passed away within days of each other? I say nearly defunct since Blockbuster still has around a dozen stores. And TRU hasn't ended operations yet.

 

[itsTheRolyPoly]

How odd is it that founders of two nearly defunct retailers - Blockbuster and Toys R Us passed away within days of each other? I say nearly defunct since Blockbuster still has around a dozen stores. And TRU hasn't ended operations yet.

Blockbuster still has six stores... four in Alaska and two in Oregon. One of Blockbuster's Alaskan stores (North Pole) is shutting down soon, making it four from five.