From Bankruptcy to $1.7B: Jim Clayton's Mobile Home Empire

What Happened Jim Clayton’s remarkable business story began with financial ruin in the late 1960s when banks forced him into bankruptcy at just 27 years old. Rather than retreating, Clayton immediately began rebuilding his mobile home business using an unconventional strategy that would ultimately create one of America’s most successful manufactured housing companies. The turning point came when Warren Buffett read Clayton’s autobiography and became intrigued by his business model. Within days, Berkshire Hathaway acquired Clayton Homes for $1.