Vermont Gas Station Attendant Builds $8 Million Stock Empire

Ronald Read, a Vermont gas station attendant and part-time janitor, built a staggering stock portfolio over five decades. His first investment in 1959 was $2,380 on 39 shares of Pacific Gas & Electric.

Read's fortune grew from consistent purchases paid for by his two paychecks, plus dividends he reinvested along the way. He held over 95 stocks focused on dividend-paying blue chips, including Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), General Electric (NYSE:GE), and Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC).

Read's neighbors were stunned when they discovered the size of his portfolio after he passed away in 2014. His estate donated $4.8 million to Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, $1.2 million to Brooks Memorial Library, and $2 million to stepchildren, caregivers, and friends.