R. Earl Holding

Fortune has dwindled $400 million in past 12 months amid difficult environment for oil refiners. Son of apartment managers ran Wyoming hotel and gas station. Bought 10% share in business; expanded to Utah, Arizona. Purchased Sinclair Oil 1976. Now owns 3 refineries, 1,000 miles of pipeline, 2,600 filling stations. Sold Barnett Shale natural gas acreage to Chesapeake Energy for $300 million in 2006. Drilling in North Dakota's Bakken Shale. Planning $1 billion expansion of Tulsa refinery; will increase capacity from 70,000 barrels per day to 115,000 by 2010. Agreed to pay $2.5 million fine, make $72 million in antipollution upgrades at 3 refineries. Owns Snowbasin, Utah and Sun Valley, Idaho resorts. In addition to his wife of more than 60 years, the former Carol Orme, his survivors include three children and 12 grandchildren. Besides spending about $100 million to expand and improve Snowbasin for the Olympics, Mr. Holding spent more than $185 million on the 775-room Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City.