Cleveland, Tenn.

W. Allan Jones

How'd he get so rich? Jones founded his Checks Into Cash in 1993. Today it is the third-largest payday lending company in the U.S., with $1 billion a year in revenue. Currently the company has some 1,250 locations in 31 states. What's he doing with money? Aside from helping to preserve local landmarks, he is also having a life-size replica built of the mansion from The Beverly Hillbillies TV show.

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