The short answer · Estimate
$900 million to $1.5 billion
Arch “Beaver” Aplin III, the founder of Buc-ee’s, is estimated to be worth $900 million to $1.5 billion [4]. The money behind that estimate is his reported half share of Buc-ee’s Ltd., which he owns 50-50 with co-founder Don Wasek [2][3]. Buc-ee’s is private and does not publish its profits, so every figure for the Buc-ee’s owner, including this one, is an estimate.
Confidence: low. The range comes from estimate pages that don’t name their source, the 50-50 split goes back to 2017 reporting [4], and the last revenue figure we could check is from 2015 [7].
Arch Aplin III at a glance
Arch “Beaver” Aplin III is the Texas businessman who opened the first Buc-ee’s in 1982 and still runs the chain as president and CEO [16][15].
| Full name | Arch “Beaver” Aplin III [1] |
|---|---|
| Nickname | Beaver, given to him by his mother [8] |
| Born | Southeast Texas; birth date not published in a source we could open [1] |
| Nationality | American [1] |
| Occupation | Founder, president and CEO of Buc-ee’s [16][15] |
| Company | Buc-ee’s Ltd., Lake Jackson, Texas, founded 1982 [1][3] |
| Ownership | Equal (50-50) owner with Don Wasek, as reported [2][3] |
| Education | Texas A&M University, construction science, class of 1980 [9] |
| Family | Father of five and grandfather of one (Winter 2026) [11] |
| Public service | Texas Parks and Wildlife commissioner from November 2018, later chairman [15][9] |
| Honors | McLane Leadership in Business Award (2022); Texas A&M Distinguished Alumnus (2025) [10][11] |
How we estimate Arch Aplin III’s net worth
Arch Aplin III’s net worth is estimated from two published estimate pages, checked against what has been reported about his Buc-ee’s stake and the company’s sales. Neither page is official, and neither shows how it got its number.
| Source | What it says | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Gigwise [4] | Net worth $900 million to $1.5 billion, given as what online estimates commonly say; no original source named | 26 August 2026 |
| Ansca Mobile [5] | Net worth about $1 billion, the site’s own estimate, called “an informed estimate, not a verified public total” | 16 April 2026 |
| MMCG Invest [6] | Buc-ee’s revenue of $3 billion to $5 billion a year. This is company revenue, not his net worth, and no source is given | 26 March 2026 |
Our method
Where the range comes from. Gigwise reports that online estimates put him at $900 million to $1.5 billion [4], and Ansca Mobile’s figure of about $1 billion sits inside that range [5]. We found no figure for him from Forbes, Bloomberg, a court record or a company filing, so the range on this page is the published one, not a valuation of our own.
His stake. SlashGear and Tasting Table both describe Aplin and Wasek as equal partners in Buc-ee’s Ltd. [3][2]. Gigwise says this was what Forbes reported in 2017 [4]. We could not open that Forbes article, and none of the pages we read gives a different split.
What the company earns. Texas Monthly reported revenue of $202 million in 2006 and $959 million in 2015, as quoted by Modern Retail [7]. MMCG Invest’s estimate of $3 billion to $5 billion a year has no named source [6]. Revenue is money in before fuel costs, wages, tax and debt, so half of the revenue is not half of the value.
What we left out. Higher and lower net worth numbers circulate on copied pages with no named origin, and so do several birth dates. None of them traces to a page we could check, so none is used here.
Costs. Buc-ee’s pays general managers more than $225,000 a year [8] and starting staff more than double the Texas minimum wage [8][9]. Those costs, and the cost of building each new store, are paid before any profit reaches the owners.
We update this page when a new deal, sale or filing moves the range; the “updated” date changes only then. The same method is used for all our net worth estimates; read how we research.
Where Arch Aplin III’s money comes from
Arch Aplin III’s money comes from Buc-ee’s, the Texas travel center chain he started in 1982 and co-owns with Don Wasek [1][2]. No other business, salary or property of his has a published figure. We apply the same source checks to other business owners, such as Guy Willison’s net worth.
| Income stream | What is reported | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Buc-ee’s ownership stake | Equal (50-50) owner of Buc-ee’s Ltd. with Don Wasek. Private company, no franchising, no current plan to go public. Value of the stake not published | [2][3] |
| Buc-ee’s revenue (company, not personal) | $202 million in 2006 and $959 million in 2015, according to Texas Monthly. No later figure from a source we could check | [7] |
| President and CEO role | Aplin is president, CEO and founder. No salary or bonus published | [16][15] |
| Store growth | 40 outlets in 2022, 50 locations in August 2024, 54 travel centers in May 2026 and 56 locations in 14 states by July 2026 | [13][7][8][1] |
| One store’s sales (projection) | A proposed store in Palmer Lake, Colorado was projected to make $38 million in taxable sales in its first year, in a May 2025 presentation | [17] |
Revenue grew almost fivefold between 2006 and 2015, from $202 million to $959 million [7], and the chain has kept opening stores since, from 40 in 2022 to 56 by July 2026 [13][1]. SlashGear reports that Wasek runs operations while Aplin handles marketing and construction [3], which fits his degree in construction science [9].
What no source publishes is Buc-ee’s profit, its debt or a valuation. MMCG Invest says growth was paid for with bank debt rather than by selling equity [6], but gives no amount. Without those numbers, turning sales into a personal fortune is guesswork on every page we found, which is why the confidence here is low.
Every Buc-ee’s number on the record, and who published it
Eleven Buc-ee’s numbers in the sources we opened can be checked, and only two of them are revenue. None is a profit figure, which is the number his net worth depends on most.
| Year | What was measured | Figure published |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | First store, Lake Jackson, Texas | 3,000 square feet [10] |
| 2006 | Company revenue | $202 million [7] |
| 2015 | Company revenue | $959 million [7] |
| 2017 | Ownership of Buc-ee’s Ltd. | 50-50, Aplin and Wasek, as reported by Forbes [4][2] |
| 2022 | Outlets open | 40 [13] |
| 2022 | Staff pay | More than twice the minimum wage, with health insurance [9] |
| 2024 | Locations | 50: 35 in Texas, 15 outside [7] |
| 2025 | One proposed store, Palmer Lake, Colorado | $38 million taxable sales projected for year one [17] |
| 2026 | Travel centers and staff | 54 travel centers, more than 12,000 employees [8] |
| 2026 | General manager pay | More than $225,000 a year; 401(k) with a 6% match [8] |
| 2026 | Locations | 56 in 14 states, 36 of them in Texas [1] |
No source we could open publishes Buc-ee’s profit, debt or valuation, and the latest revenue figure we could check is for 2015 [7].
The Palmer Lake number gives a sense of what one store can sell, $38 million in its first year [17]. It is a projection for one proposed site, not a reported result, so we don’t multiply it by the store count. Our page on Logan Paul’s net worth follows the same rule: published figures only, with no stacked guesses.
Earnings timeline
Aplin’s wealth grew with Buc-ee’s: one small store in 1982, travel centers from 2003 and stores outside Texas from 2018.
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1980 | Graduates from Texas A&M with a construction science degree [9]. |
| 1982 | Opens the first Buc-ee’s, a 3,000-square-foot store in Lake Jackson, on 28 July [10][11]. |
| 1985 | Opens the second Buc-ee’s with partner Don Wasek [14]. |
| 2003 | The first Buc-ee’s travel center opens in Luling, Texas [1]. |
| 2006 | Company revenue reaches $202 million, according to Texas Monthly [7]. |
| 2015 | Company revenue reaches $959 million [7]. |
| 2018 | First store outside Texas, in Baldwin County, Alabama [1]; joins the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission in November [15]. |
| 2022 | Commits $50 million for the Aplin Center at Texas A&M [9] and receives the McLane Leadership in Business Award [10]. Buc-ee’s has 40 outlets [13]. |
| 2024 | Buc-ee’s has 50 locations, 35 of them in Texas [7]. |
| 2025 | Gives $10 million to Mays Business School, which names its marketing department after him [12]; named a Texas A&M Distinguished Alumnus [11]. |
| 2026 | Buc-ee’s has 54 travel centers and more than 12,000 employees in May [8], and 56 locations in 14 states by July [1]. |
What could change the number
A published valuation or profit figure for Buc-ee’s would change this estimate most, because Buc-ee’s is the only source of wealth reported for him [2]. Until one appears, the range stays as wide as the estimate pages make it.
A change in ownership would also move it. The 50-50 split is the latest one reported [3][2]; a sale of part of the company or a public listing would reset his share. Tasting Table reports no current plans to go public [2].
His giving matters less than it sounds. He has committed $60 million to Texas A&M [11]: $50 million for the Aplin Center, announced in 2022 [9], and $10 million to Mays Business School in 2025 [12]. The Aplin Center is due to open in winter 2028 [11]. Together the gifts equal about 4% to 7% of the published range.
Related estimates on this site: Guy Willison’s net worth, Logan Paul’s net worth and Morgan Wallen’s net worth.
Questions people ask
What is the Buc-ee’s owner’s net worth?
Arch Aplin III, the founder and co-owner of Buc-ee’s, is estimated to be worth $900 million to $1.5 billion [4]. That range comes from estimate pages, not from Forbes or a filing.
Who owns Buc-ee’s?
Arch “Beaver” Aplin III and Don Wasek. They are reported as equal (50-50) owners of Buc-ee’s Ltd., a private company that does not franchise [2][3].
Who is the CEO of Buc-ee’s?
Aplin is the president and CEO as well as the founder [16][15]. SlashGear reports that Wasek runs operations while Aplin handles marketing and construction [3].
How much does Buc-ee’s make a year?
Buc-ee’s doesn’t publish its sales. The last figure from a source we could check is $959 million in revenue in 2015, reported by Texas Monthly [7]; a newer estimate of $3 billion to $5 billion names no source [6].
Is the founder of Buc-ee’s a billionaire?
That isn’t confirmed. The highest published estimate is $1.5 billion [4], but no source shows how it was worked out, so we can’t say he has passed $1 billion.
How old is the owner of Buc-ee’s?
His birth date hasn’t been published in a source we could open. He graduated from Texas A&M in 1980 and opened the first Buc-ee’s in 1982 [9].
How much has Arch Aplin given to Texas A&M?
$60 million in total [11]: $50 million for the Aplin Center, announced in 2022 [9], and $10 million to Mays Business School in 2025, which named its marketing department after him [12].
Sources
- Wikipedia, “Buc-ee’s”, read 7 October 2026, en.wikipedia.org.
- Wendy Leigh, Tasting Table, “Is Buc-ee’s Actually A Family-Owned Chain?”, 22 August 2026, www.tastingtable.com.
- Stephen Fogel, SlashGear, “Who Owns Buc-ee’s Gas Stations?”, 21 February 2026, www.slashgear.com.
- Emma Richardson, Gigwise, “Arch Aplin III Net Worth: Inside The Buc-ee’s Fortune”, 26 August 2026, www.gigwise.com.
- Marcie Edelson, Ansca Mobile, “Buc-ee’s Owner Net Worth in 2026: How Much Is Arch Aplin III Worth?”, 16 April 2026, www.anscamobile.com.
- Michal Mohelsky, MMCG Invest, “Buc-ee’s and the Reinvention of the American Road Stop”, 26 March 2026, www.mmcginvest.com.
- Mitchell Parton, Modern Retail, “‘You want to spend money in there’: Buc-ee’s is reinventing the gas station in Texas and beyond”, 12 August 2024, www.modernretail.co.
- Lee Habeeb, Newsweek, “Story of the Man – and Company – That Turned Gas Stations Into Destinations”, 22 May 2026, www.newsweek.com.
- Kelly Brown, Texas A&M University, “Buc-ee’s Creator Giving $50 Million For Hospitality Entrepreneurship Program At Texas A&M”, 2 June 2022, stories.tamu.edu.
- Caitlin Clark, The Association of Former Students, “Buc-ee’s creator receives business leadership award”, 31 October 2022, www.aggienetwork.com.
- Jeannie Ralston, Texas A&M Foundation, Spirit magazine, “He Launched a Travel Center Empire. Now He’s Shaping the Future of Hospitality, Retail and Marketing in Aggieland”, Winter 2026, bio.txamfoundation.com.
- Mays Business School, Texas A&M, “Arch H. Aplin III ’80 Department of Marketing Naming Honors Buc-ee’s Founder”, 8 October 2025, mays.tamu.edu.
- Ron Starner, Site Selection, “A Beaver With Bite”, 24 April 2022, siteselection.com.
- Jake Rossen, Mental Floss, “8 Facts About Gas Station Sensation Buc-ee’s”, 27 December 2022, www.mentalfloss.com.
- Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, “Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission appointments”, 27 November 2018, tscra.org.
- Forbes, Buc-ee’s company profile, read 7 October 2026, www.forbes.com.
- Jared Dean, KKTV 11 News, “Buc-ee’s by the numbers: What to expect if the massive convenience store comes to Palmer Lake”, 5 May 2025, www.kktv.com.
