| Manuel J. Moroun | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 5, 1927 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Matty Moroun |
| Alma mater | University of Notre Dame |
| Occupation | Chairman and CEO of CenTra Inc. |
| Known for | Owner of the Ambassador Bridge and Michigan Central Station |
| Net worth | US$ 1.5 billion (2010) |
| Spouse | Nora[1] |
| Children | Matthew[1] |
Manuel "Matty" Moroun is an American businessman of Lebanese descent [2] and the owner of CenTra, Inc., the holding company which controls the Ambassador Bridge.[3][4] The former is significant as it is the only private ownership of a border crossing between the United States and Canada. He bought the bridge from the Bower Family in 1979. It is now estimated to be worth between 1.5 and 3 billion dollars.[5] CenTra, Inc., is also the controlling body of Central Transport International, an LTL trucking carrier.[6] Moroun also has a controlling stake in Universal Truckload Services Inc., which is in itself a holding company for several over-the-road truck lines (Universal Am-Can Ltd., Mason Dixon Lines, Economy Transport, etc.)[7]
Moroun attended the University of Detroit Jesuit High School, graduating in 1945.
A recent Forbes article listed him as the 321st richest American.[8]
On 25 March 2010, it was announced that Moroun is suing the US and Canadian governments over the Detroit River International Crossing. He has sought to block construction of the new bridge as it competes with his own proposal for a second span of the Ambassador Bridge, which he would also own.[9] Critics suggest that Moroun's opposition is fuelled by the prospect of lost profits from duty-free gasoline sales, which are exempt from about 60 cents per gallon in taxes even though the pump price to consumers is only a few cents lower.[10]