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Also Known As null, Marcus Anthony
CEO of Camping World Holdings
Marcus Anthony Lemonis is a chairman and CEO of Camping World, Inc.(CWH)
Lebanese-born American businessman, television personality and philanthropist. He is currently the chairman and CEO of Camping World,( CWH ) Good Sam Enterprises, Gander RV and The House Boardshop, in addition to being the star of The Profit, a CNBC reality show about saving small businesses.
As the CEO of Camping World, Lemonis sponsored NASCAR driver John Andretti in 2004. In 2007, Lemonis and Camping World announced they were taking over sponsorship of the NASCAR East Series from Busch Beer for the 2008–2009 seasons, rebranding it the NASCAR Camping World Series. Later that same year, they also announced sponsorship of the then Craftsman Truck Series, rebranding it the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, making the company one of the sport's top three sponsors. They renewed their sponsorship in 2014.
Crain's Chicago Business featured him in their 2005 edition of "40 under 40"; and in 2008, Ernst & Young named him "Entrepreneur of the Year".
In October 2016, Camping World went public on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CWH) at $22 a share, giving the company a market value of approximately $2 billion. As of December 24, 2021, Camping World was trading at $39.56 per share.
In April 2017, Camping World announced the acquisition of the assets of Gander Mountain, a camping, fishing and hunting gear retailer.
In July 2017, Camping World announced the acquisition of The House Boardshop, an online retailer specializing in bikes, sailboards, skateboards, wakeboards, snowboards and outdoor gear
Lemonis married Roberta "Bobbi" Raffel in 2018 and lives in Lake Forest, Illinois
Marcus Anthony Lemonis born November 16, 1973 was born to parents Abdallel (from Lebanon) and Nadia (from Baniyas, Syria) in Beirut, Lebanon, during the chaos of the Lebanese civil war and foreign invasions. He was given the name Ricardo but was abandoned at an orphanage four days after his birth. He was adopted during his infancy on July 29, 1974, by Leo and Sophia Lemonis, a couple living in Miami, Florida. His adoptive father was Greek, and his adoptive mother was Lebanese.[citation needed]
Throughout his upbringing, Lemonis was exposed to the automotive industry, with his great uncle (Anthony Abraham) owning two of the largest Chevrolet dealerships in the United States. Lee Iacocca was a family friend who became a mentor to Lemonis and also a financial investor, loaning him millions to start a recreational vehicle business.[citation needed]
Lemonis graduated in 1991 from Christopher Columbus High School in Miami-Dade County, Florida. In 1995, he earned a bachelor's degree in political science, with a minor in criminology, from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He unsuccessfully ran as a Democrat for a seat in the Florida House of Representatives shortly after his graduation, whereupon he refocused his career on the automotive industry.
