William Franke

$2.00 B

Ranked #1516 in World

About William Franke

William Augustus Franke, esteemed airline investor and founder of Indigo Partners LLC, has been pivotal in the aviation sector as Chairman of both Wizz Air and Frontier Airlines, and as President of Franke and Company, Inc. since 1987. A Stanford alumnus with a BA in History and LL.B. in Law, his leadership journey includes CEO tenures at Southwest Forest Industries and America West Airlines, among others. Renowned for his philanthropy, Franke's multi-million-dollar endowments have benefited American universities, fostering education and business studies.

Born

April 15, 1937 in Bryan, Texas, United States

Age

88 years

Source Of Wealth

Low-cost Airlines

Industries

Diversified

Citizenship

United States

Residence

Houston, Texas

Education

Bachelor of Arts/Science, Stanford University; LLB, Stanford University

Spouse

Carolyn Franke

Children

William Augustus Franke was born on April 15, 1937. There is no information available about his early years and childhood.

William Franke: Family

There is no information available about William Franke's family.

William Franke: Career Highlights

William Franke's career highlights include:

President of Franke and Company, Inc. since 1987.
Chairman of Wizz Air since 2004 and Frontier Airlines.
President and Chairman of Bristol Group SA.
CEO of Southwest Forest Industries (now Smurfit-Stone Container) and Chairman of Circle K, which he restructured through bankruptcy.
Chairman and CEO of America West Airlines (1993-2001).
Chairman of Singapore-based Tiger Airways (2004-2009).
Chairman of Spirit Airlines (July 2006 - August 2013).

William Franke: Companies

William Franke has been associated with the following companies:

Franke and Company, Inc.
Wizz Air
Frontier Airlines
Bristol Group SA
Southwest Forest Industries (now Smurfit-Stone Container)
Circle K
America West Airlines
Tiger Airways
Spirit Airlines

William Franke: Major Achievements

William Franke's major achievements include:

Restructuring Circle K through bankruptcy.
Leading America West Airlines to profitability.
Co-founding Indigo Partners LLC, a private equity fund focused on air transportation.
Becoming Chairman of Wizz Air and Frontier Airlines.

William Franke: Awards & Achievements

William Franke has received the following awards and achievements:

Honorary doctorate from Northern Arizona University in 2008.
The W. A. Franke College of Business at Northern Arizona University is named after him.
Donated $24 million to the University of Montana in 2016.
Donated to Stanford Law School to create The W. A. Franke Professorship in Law and Business.
Donated $25 million to the University of Arizona in 2021, leading to the renaming of the Honors College to the W.A. Franke Honors College.