John Robert Menard Jr. is an American businessman, the self-made billionaire Founder and Owner of Menards, a massive Midwestern chain of home improvement stores. Born in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, in 1940, he was the eldest of eight siblings; his parents were a university professor and a grade school teacher.

Menard graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire with a degree in business and a minor in psychology. He famously passed up working for IBM to continue his own small farm construction business (building pole buildings with friends from college). His philosophy centers on extreme frugality, self-reliance, and aggressive competition in the retail market.

• Menards (Founder & Owner): The core private asset, a massive chain of home improvement stores in the U.S. Midwest (operating 335 stores and 12 distribution centers).
• Motorsports Focus: He is a major patron of motorsports, sponsoring NASCAR events and backing champions (his son, Paul Menard, won the NASCAR Cup Series Brickyard 400 in 2011).
• Corporate Culture: His company is known for its strong work ethic and frugal lifestyle.
• Philanthropy: He has made major donations to healthcare (Luther Midelfort Hospital) and law enforcement education (Drug Enforcement and Policy Center at Ohio State University).

John Menard Jr.'s strategic genius was his commitment to high-volume, low-cost retail. He opened his first hardware store in 1964, using the profits from his farm construction business. He successfully scaled Menards into a dominant force in the Midwestern U.S., known for its extensive inventory and frugal operational style. By 2005, Menards was grossing $5.5 billion in sales.

His structural contribution is immense: consolidating the home improvement retail market in the Midwest. He is a major Republican donor and has supported the political groups of the Koch brothers. His wealth, estimated at $18.9 billion (2021 estimate), is secured by the colossal, long-term, stable profitability of the privately held home improvement retail sector.

John Menard Jr.'s social impact is structural, stemming from Menards' role as a massive regional employer and foundational provider of essential construction and home improvement materials. His donations of $15 million to Luther Midelfort Hospital and $10 million to the Eau Claire Area YMCA are major structural contributions to healthcare and community recreation in Wisconsin.

His structural contribution is tied to his belief in self-reliance and his influential political donations that support conservative causes and policy agendas.

John Menard Jr. maintains the professional, pragmatic style of an industrialist. His attire is consistently formal and high-quality, favoring functional business attire. His aesthetic reflects his stability, his frugal nature, and his deep roots in the Midwestern working class.

Residing in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, his luxury is the immense security and financial reward derived from his multi-billion dollar fortune. His life is dedicated to retail scale, industrial efficiency, and his passion for motorsports and philanthropy.