Foster Friess

Foster Stephen Friess (April 2, 1940 – May 27, 2021) was an American investment manager and prominent donor to the Republican Party and to Christian right causes. He unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for governor of Wyoming in the 2018 election, losing in the primary to State Treasurer Mark Gordon. In 1999, CNBC dubbed Friess one of the "century’s great investors." In a 2001 article, BusinessWeek suggested Friess "may be the longest-surviving successful growth-stock picker, having navigated markets for 36 years, in his own firm since 1974." Personal life Friess was born on April 2, 1940, in Rice Lake, Wisconsin, the son of Ethel (Foster) and Albert Friess. He grew up on a farm, where his father was a cattle dealer. As a student at Rice Lake High School, Friess was valedictorian of his class and a member of the basketball and track teams. A first-generation college graduate, Friess attended the University of Wisconsin (now University of Wisconsin–Madison), where he earned a degree in business administration. As a student, he served as president of Chi Phi fraternity, enrolled in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps, and was named one of the "ten most outstanding senior men." In 1962, he married fellow student Lynnette Estes, with whom he had four children. Friess was a born-again Christian.