Matthew Gordy Stuller was 15 when his mom dropped him off at the library in his hometown of Lafayette, Louisiana, so he could catch up on studying. An indifferent student, he ditched his books to wander around downtown and spotted a “going steady” ring in a jewelry store window that he thought might win over a particular girl. He persuaded the store owner to sell him the $39.99 ring, which succeeded in charming the young lady, for $5 down and $5 a week. “I’ve always been somewhat of a romantic,” he confides.
Yet sentiment has little to do with how Stuller, now 73, has become America’s wholesale jewelry king, with a net worth that Forbes estimates at more than $1 billion. Instead, he has built his fortune through a relentless focus on manufacturing processes, logistics and satisfying his retailer customers’ every need. https://trib.al/3N1gCSu