Not every billionaire was born with a silver spoon in their mouth. For David Trone, the path to success that eventually led him to Congress in 2019 started on a farm in East Berlin, Pennsylvania.
On the latest episode of Founding DC, Trone told host Dan Simons that when he was 11 years old, his father packed the family up and moved them from Maryland to the Keystone State.
Trone’s father, who was a salesman by trade, wanted to be a farmer.
Simons asked Trone what sticks out to him about those early days on the farm.
“You definitely don’t like an outhouse. That is rough in the winter,” said Trone. “It was quite a shock, but he made the move, and you roll with the punches, and you just keep moving.”
Trone admitted that moving from a suburban area to a 100-acre farm with no indoor plumbing was a culture change.
It took the family a year before they didn’t have to go outside to use the bathroom.
Trone along with his brothers helped on the family farm. His father Thomas Trone not only paid them for the work — he had them punch a time clock, too.
Thomas Trone is described by David as a serial entrepreneur.
“When I was 12, we built 21,000 chickens. When I was 13, we had another 33,000 chickens. Then he added 2,000 hogs, then he bought another 100 acres,” said Trone.
Trone said his father also bought a couple gas and grocery stores.
“He was always trying to do different things, but unfortunately, was not really good with a P and L statement,” said Trone.
While his father went bankrupt and lost the family farm, Trone said that was a formative time in his life.
“I learned from my dad the importance of trying things, and sometimes failing, often failing, but willingness to take risks,” said Trone.
During Trone’s appearance on Founding DC, he was open about his father’s personal demons.
“Dad was an abusive alcoholic and that led to a myriad of problems,” said Trone.
One of the problems was his marriage. Trone was the one who negotiated his parents’ divorce.
While his Mom took his sister and left his father, Trone worked to support his family, including during his time attending The Wharton School of The University of Pennsylvania.
Unlike his father, Trone has been very good with P and L statements.
Since Trone founded Total Wine & More in 1991, it has grown to over 280 locations, including a new one in D.C. on Wisconsin Ave NW.
With over 12,000 employees, Total Wine & More is the largest seller of wine and spirits in the United States, earning $6 billion a year in revenue.
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