Howard Jr. was born on December 24, 1905. His father, Howard Sr., owned a patent for a drill bit that can drill through hard rock. Howard Sr. earned a huge fortune out of his drill bit that was produced by his own company, the Sharp-Hughes Tool Company.
Because of Howard Sr.’s fortunes, Howard Jr. grew up in a relatively wealthy household. However, he had difficulty getting focused on his studies so he had to transfer from one school to another. He preferred to use his curiosity to tinker with machines. When his mother did not allow him to own a motorcycle, he built his own by attaching a motor to his bicycle.
When Howard Jr. was 16 years old, his mother passed away. Two years later, his father also died. Seventy-five percent of his father’s estate went him; the rest of the 25% were given to some relatives. Almost immediately thereafter, Howard Jr. had disagreements with his relatives in running the Hughes Tool Company. Because he was only 18 and the legal age was 21, he could not do anything.
Howard Jr. was determined to take over his father’s company so he brought his case to the court. When the judge granted him adulthood, he acquired the shares owned by his relatives. He became the sole owner of Hughes Tool Company at 19 years old.
Howard Jr. and his wife Ella Rice, ventured into movie making in 1925. He spent time with his uncle, Rupert, who was a Hollywood screenwriter. His enchantment with movies led to his first movie project, the Swell Hogan. Two Arabian Knights, his third movie is an Oscars winner.
In 1932, Howard Jr. moved to aviation and founded the Hughes Aircraft Company. He hired the best aeronautics engineers and designers. His obsession was on speed and he focused on produced high-speed aircraft.
At the time of his death in 1976, Howard Jr. was a billionaire.
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