Dan Duncan, possibly the richest man in Houston, died at his home there March 28, according to an AP report. He was 77.
He was also owner of the DD exotic game and hunting preserve south of Smithville in the Rosanky area and a publicity-shy figure in the Smithville community.
The company he founded in 1968, Enterprise Products Partners LP , and took public in 1998 owned some 48,000 miles of oil, gas and petrochemical product pipelines in the U.S. as well as 25 natural gas processing plants, according to the AP report. The cause of death was not immediately announced by the company.
His wealth, estimated at $9 billion, put Duncan among the 100 richest U.S. residents, by some accounts.
The Rosanky exotic game ranch was apparently an outgrowth of one of his personal passions, big game hunting. The “Double D” spread included herds of large game animals from North America, Africa and Asia which were carefully managed for hunting by Duncan customers and guests. The lavish grounds include a luxurious hunting lodge, fishing lake, and meat processing facilities.
In 2002 Duncan attracted wide attention after being suspected of illegally shooting sheep and moose from a helicopter while on a hunting expedition in Russia. He was never formally charged with a crime in connection with the incident. He insisted that he and others on the trip did not know the activity was illegal.