NEW YORK, May 7, 2024 – GoDaddy, PXG, and YAM Worldwide founder Bob Parsons today made his literary debut with the release of his first book, FIRE IN THE HOLE! THE UNTOLD STORY OF MY TRAUMATIC LIFE AND EXPLOSIVE SUCCESS (May 7; Forefront Books). For all those who think they know this American entrepreneur and philanthropist, the book is filled with untold tales and revelations from an optimist who dreamed big and imagined all that was possible – even if the cards seemed stacked against him. The book is now available through all major retailers.
“It is honest, hilarious, outrageous and raw. This is a story of how I started with absolutely nothing and made over $3 billion,” said Bob Parsons, who is embarking on a national book tour that will bring him through several major U.S. cities, including New York, Dallas, and Chicago.
A descendant of coal miners, Parsons grew up in the 1950s in a blue-collar, working-class neighborhood in East Baltimore. His early experiences reveal an innate resiliency that got him through a harrowing tour of duty in Vietnam as a United States Marine and the early years at his first company, Parsons Technology. The book goes on to share the bold business decisions that would eventually make him one of the wealthiest people in the world, with a net worth of $3.6 billion according to the Forbes 400 2023 list of the richest people in America.
“As the title of this book, Fire in the Hole! suggests, Bob has dodged a lot of grenades in life, but it was more than luck that led him to where he is today,” Carlton W. Kent, 16th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, stated. “Bob’s story touched me personally, and I enthusiastically recommend this book to others to gain insight on their own personal journey to reaching success in life.”
Parsons also delves into his experience with PTSD, brought on by early childhood trauma and his combat duty in Vietnam, and the efforts he has made to treat it with novel therapeutic uses of psychedelics, including psilocybin, which finally brought him “home.” This is particularly timely, given recent efforts to gain FDA approval for the use of the drug MDMA, and the efforts of several states, including California, to legalize psychedelic therapy. Parsons recently testified in his home state of Arizona in support of the legalization of psychedelic-assisted therapy. He has also donated millions to research and therapist training in this area.
In addition to his business success, Parsons writes about his shift toward philanthropy in 2012, when he and his wife Renee established The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation to reach low-income and underserved populations, marginalized communities, and causes often overlooked or underfunded by mainstream philanthropy. The Foundation focuses on the areas of youth and education, health and home, military and first responders, and the American dream. Since inception, the foundation has donated more than $300 million to 96 charities.
He's an everyman who has made it. He’s authentic. And his reflections on life, business, and giving back are heartbreaking, heartwarming, humorous, and inspiring.
“Bob Parsons is an American original. He is a visionary and inspiration and has the stories to prove it. Fire in the Hole! is as interesting and outrageous as the man himself,” actor, producer and author Rob Lowe concluded.
To learn more about Bob Parsons or to purchase Fire in the Hole! visit, bobparsons.com/fire-in-the-hole.
About Bob Parsons
Bob Parsons lives in Scottsdale, Arizona, where, among other things, he owns one of the country’s largest Harley-Davidson dealerships. Parsons is the CEO and founder of YAM Worldwide, which is home to his entrepreneurial ventures in the fields of motorcycles, golf, real estate, finance, marketing, innovation, and philanthropy. He is a U.S. Marine Corps Vietnam veteran and a recipient of the Purple Heart Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, and Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. He attended college at the University of Baltimore on the G.I. Bill and graduated magna cum laude. His alma mater presented him with an honorary doctorate in 2008 and named him Distinguished Entrepreneur in 2010.