Terry Watanabe on Becoming CEO of His Dad's Company at 20, Selling the Business for $400M (Part 1)
Update: 2025-11-07
Description
At just 20 years old, Terry Watanabe took the helm of his father Harry Watanabe’s import company, Oriental Trading Company, which his father had started after immigrating from Hiroshima, Japan. Originally a small carnival distribution business, Terry strategically expanded focus, growing the company to $300 million in annual revenue by 2000. Under his leadership, the company grossed up to $25 million per month and grew significantly. In 2000, at age 43, Terry sold the family-run business for $400 million, personally receiving around $350 million from the deal. Despite being a lucrative sale, the company changed hands multiple times afterward, eventually becoming part of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway portfolio.
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