Texas Patriarch

Book excerpt: Cloyce Box was larger than life. He left his career as a Pro Bowl wide receiver for the Detroit Lions to rise to corporate fame and extravagant wealth in construction and the oil and gas industries. His sprawling estate in Frisco, Texas, was used as the original Southfork Ranch in the television soap opera Dallas. Cloyce ran both his companies and his family with a firm hand and inextricably linked the two by raising his sons in the business. When he finally passed, he left a wake of collapsing relationships at home and in the boardroom. Texas Patriarch is the taut family saga of four brothers’ struggle to determine the fate of the empire built by their father. In his long shadow, they fought over money and power, nearly destroying both the business and the family. After quarrels and litigation, they finally managed to rediscover each other and the importance of family. Author Doug Box, son of the Texas Patriarch, has made a career from this experience, guiding families through turmoil to retain both their wealth and their connections with each other. Now, you can witness his journey to avoid similar turmoil.