Bill Stoller Net Worth: Express Employment Co-Founder, Winemaker

No reputable publisher released a net worth estimate for Bill Stoller, and the $15 million figure and income table that were on this page had no source, so we have removed them. William H. "Bill" Stoller co-founded Express Employment Professionals in 1983 and served as its CEO and chairman until his death in April 2025 at age 74. The Oklahoma City-based staffing franchise reported record sales of $4.46 billion in 2023, with over 860 locations. He also founded the Stoller Wine Group in Oregon, turning his family's former turkey farm into one of the state's best-known vineyards.

What Was Bill Stoller's Net Worth?

There is no published estimate. Express is privately owned by the Stoller and Funk families, so its profits and valuation were never disclosed, and the $4.46 billion is system-wide sales across a franchise network, not the parent company's profit. His winery holdings were also private. Given his stake in one of the largest privately held staffing companies and his Oregon wine business, the old $15 million figure looks far too low, but we will not replace it with a guess.

Where the Money Came From: Express Employment Professionals

Stoller started in staffing in 1973. At Acme Personnel Services he worked as a district manager alongside Bob Funk, then a vice president. When Acme failed in the early 1980s, the two men and Acme franchisee Jim Gray formed Express Temporary Services in 1983 with eight offices in Oklahoma, Oregon and Colorado. It began franchising in 1985 and later took the names Express Personnel Services and Express Employment Professionals. Stoller and Funk bought out Gray's shares, which set the company's long-term ownership.

• 1999: sales passed $1 billion, according to the company's history.
• 2023: 40th anniversary, more than 860 locations and record sales of $4.46 billion, the Journal Record reported.
• Reach: franchises in the U.S., Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. The company says it has helped more than 11 million people find work.
• Headquarters: Oklahoma City, with more than 500 support staff.

Becoming CEO (2018)

For years Funk ran the company as CEO. In March 2018 The Oklahoman reported that Funk was stepping down and that Stoller would replace him, following the resolution of a yearslong legal dispute between the partners that included allegations Funk had diverted $134 million of company money for personal use. Stoller then led Express as CEO and chairman until his death. After he died, the company named Bob Funk Jr. as CEO.

The Stoller Wine Group

Stoller grew up on his family's turkey farm in Yamhill County, Oregon, once among the state's largest, with close to 700,000 birds at its peak. He bought the family property in 1993 and began converting it to vineyard two years later. The estate in the Dundee Hills near Dayton became Stoller Family Estate, and he founded the Stoller Wine Group the same year.

• He built what is believed to be the world's first LEED Gold-certified winery.
• He was an early investor in Chehalem Winery, co-owning it with founder Harry Peterson-Nedry, and took full ownership in 2018 of the roughly 20,000-case brand. He said at the time that he first invested to help fund a friend's dream, and Stoller president Gary Mortensen took over leadership of Chehalem as well, while the founder's daughter stayed on as head winemaker.
• He received the Oregon Wine Board's Lifetime Achievement Award and the Diploma of Honor from the Paris-based Fédération Internationale des Confréries Bachiques.

Education

Stoller earned a business degree from Pacific University and an MBA from Portland State University, according to OPB.

Death and Legacy

Express announced on April 24, 2025, that Stoller had died at 74; OPB reported the date of death as Wednesday, April 23. The Oregon Wine Board called him a pioneer and innovator, and Stoller Wine Group president Gary Mortensen said the company would keep pursuing his 200-year vision for the estate. Staffing Industry Analysts included him on its 2025 Staffing 100 North America list.

Family

Stoller was survived by his wife, LaRue Stoller, and their five children, OPB reported. The previous version of this page included a photo captioned with a different name for his wife; because that did not match published obituaries, we removed the photo. We also removed an unsourced age, height and weight.

Net Worth Compared

Stoller is one of several founders on this site who built large private companies. Compare Larry Potterfield of MidwayUSA and Charles Loflin, a large franchise operator. The earlier version of this page linked to Bobby Goodlatte and Bubba Saulsbury.

Why There Is No Reliable Figure

Stoller's wealth was held mainly in two private businesses whose profits and valuations were never published. Franchise sales figures describe the whole network, not the owners' income. No reputable outlet estimated his fortune before or after his death.