Jeb Bush is a politician from the United States who served as Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. He is former President George H. W. Bush’s second son and former President George W. Bush’s younger brother. He enrolled in the Massachusetts boarding school Phillips Academy, Andover, following in the footsteps of his father and brother. He was a standout student and captain of the tennis team. He became interested in public service at a young age and travelled to Mexico to teach English on an exchange program while still in high school. After this trip, he decided to major in Latin American Affairs at the University of Texas rather than attend Yale University like many of his family members. After finishing his education, the brilliant young guy went to work for Texas Commerce Bank’s international section and later became an entrepreneur. Over time, he established himself as a successful businessman and, like his father and older brother, became interested in politics. He went on to become Governor of Florida, where he achieved notoriety for promoting environmental improvements and reforming the state’s education system. He is a well-known politician who has declared his campaign for President of the United States in 2016.
Childhood and Adolescence
George H. W. Bush and Lady Barbara Bush gave birth to John Ellis “Jeb” Bush on February 11, 1953, in Midland, Texas. His father, a well-known politician, went on to become President of the United States. He is the youngest of four siblings, with three brothers and one sister. His older brother is former President George W. Bush.
He, like his father and brother before him, went to Phillips Academy, Andover, a boarding school in Andover, Massachusetts. He was the captain of the tennis team and excelled in his studies.He travelled to Mexico as part of Andover’s student exchange summer program because he has always been interested in public service.
He was there teaching English as a second language. After two and a half years at the University of Texas at Austin, he graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude with a B.A. in Latin American studies.
Career of Jeb Bush
Jeb Bush began his career in the foreign division of Texas Commerce Bank in 1974 as an entry-level employee. He quickly rose through the ranks of the bank’s division in Caracas, Venezuela’s capital, to branch manager and vice president.
He began working in real estate with Armando Codina, a prominent businessman, in 1980. Bush’s career soared aina’s firm, and Codina soon appointed Bush a partner in a new development venture. Bush became extremely wealthy as a result of his business’s success.
Because of his business operations, he relocated to Miami and became involved in a variety of entrepreneurial endeavors. He was involved in a deal selling water pumps in Nigeria and became a minority owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars, an American professional football franchise based in Jacksonville, Florida.
He volunteered for his father’s presidential campaign in 1980, though he would not enter politics himself for another few years. In the mid-1980s, Jeb Bush was elected Chairman of the Dade County Republican Party, and he played a key part in the Governor’s election of Bob Martinez in 1986. Bush was then named Florida’s Secretary of Commerce by Martinez.
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the first Cuban-American woman elected to Congress, hired Bush as her campaign manager in 1989. He ran for governor of Florida in the following years, but was unsuccessful, and he continued to work for Codina Partners.
In 1998, Bush ran for Governor of Florida again and defeated Democrat Buddy MacKay. In January 1999, he took office. In this capacity, he proved to be highly popular, and he easily won re-election in 2002, making him Florida’s first two-term Republican governor.
As governor, he worked to improve the environment, support restrictions on medical malpractice lawsuits, and change the state’s education system, including the distribution of vouchers and the promotion of school choice. His older brother, George Bush, became President of the United States during his term as governor.
During Jeb Bush’s presidency, taxes were cut and the state’s reserves increased from US$1.3 billion to US$9.8 billion. He also played a role in the establishment of the Corporate Income Tax Credit Scholarship, which allows businesses to receive tax credits for donating to Scholarship Funding Organizations.
He was anti-abortion and backed legislation that required parental notification for teen abortions. In 2003, he became involved in the Terri Schiavo case, which concerned a lady in a vegetative state who had suffered serious brain damage. Her husband wanted to take her off life support, but Bush ordered the doctors to keep her alive.
Even after leaving the governor’s office in 2007, he remained involved in politics. He launched his candidacy for President of the United States of America in the 2016 presidential election in 2015.
His Major Projects
During his eight years as governor, Jeb Bush initiated important reforms. He backed the Everglades conservation plan, the world’s most expensive and extensive environmental restoration effort. He also started a Medicaid privatization trial program and pushed for education changes in the state.
Philanthropic Contributions of Jeb
Jeb Bush is involved in a number of philanthropic organizations. He has also worked with The James Madison Institute (JMI), a free market public policy think tank based in Tallahassee, Florida, and served as co-chair of the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy.
Bush created the Points of Light program in 2000 to honor a “exemplary volunteer, organization, or individual.” In addition, he serves as honorary chairman of the AT&T Jeb Bush Florida Golf Classic, a fundraiser for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
Personal History and Legacy
In 1970, while teaching English in Mexico as part of a foreign exchange program, he met Columba Garnica Gallo. The pair married in 1974 and had three children together. He has four grandchildren as well.
Estimated Net Worth
As of February 2022, Jeb Bush has an estimated net worth of $45 million. Most of his earnings come from his business.