Who is Harlan Crow, the Dallas billionaire friend of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas?

Harlan Crow is in the news once again. This time for lavish accommodations he provided U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and his wife, Ginni.

According to ProPublica, Thomas and his wife have used a private jet, luxury yacht and stays at exclusive retreats, all courtesy of the Dallas billionaire.

So, who is this North Texas billionaire and how did he make his money?

Who is the Dallas billionaire Harlan Crow?

Harlan Crow is the Chairman of the Board of Crow Holdings. According to the company’s website, “After working in a variety of positions at the firm, beginning as an industrial leasing agent in Houston in 1974, Harlan assumed overall responsibilities for the business in 1988.”

Crow holdings manages $35 billion in assets, ranging from real estate developments to diversified investment portfolios.

Crow received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Texas – Austin. He is a director on several boards including the American Enterprise Institute, the George W. Bush Foundation Board, the Southwestern Medical Foundation, the Supreme Court Historical Society Board, the Antiquarian Society and the Hoover Institution.

Crow is the third son of Margaret and Trammell Crow.

How did Harlan Crow make his money?

After decades of building an empire, the older Crow saw his business in peril during the real estate crash of the late 1980s. He turned to his third son, Harlan, then only 37, to help turn things around. Harlan had built a handful of buildings in and around Dallas, but this was new territory for the younger Crow.

This is how the New York Times described how Crow worked on saving the family business: “Harlan stared down lenders to save his father’s proudest creation, the Dallas Market Center, the nation’s largest wholesale trade complex. He jettisoned some of his father’s dearest associates. He put his brothers, sister and parents on budgets. In the face of ruin, he recast a galaxy of real estate partnerships held together by Trammell Crow’s charisma into a business empire bigger than ever.”

To which causes has Harlan Crow contributed?

Crow supports Republican causes both in his name and in the name of the family investment company, Crow Holdings.

During Sen. Mitt Romney’s run for the White House in 2012, Crow was a prominent donor. A Forbes report at the time said, “Although Mitt Romney has not revealed his bundler list, Crow clearly is on it. Fundraisers and donors who had cut checks for at least $50,000 were treated to dinner with the candidate at Crow’s home in Highland Park, TX.”

Using his family’s business, Crow gave $1.5 million to Karl Rove’s group, American Crossroads. He also gave an additional $650,000 to Restore Our Future, the super PAC working for Romney’s presidential bid. Forbes reported that he gave Restore Our Future another $150,000 of his own money.

It has also been reported that Crow gave $500,000 to help Ginni Thomas launch a consulting shop.