Clay Cooley Net Worth 2026: Car Dealer, Automotive Group

Clay Cooley is the Dallas car dealer behind Clay Cooley Auto Group, one of the larger family-owned dealership groups in Dallas-Fort Worth, known locally for the jingle "come see Clay." No reputable publisher, including Forbes, Bloomberg or Celebrity Net Worth, has estimated his net worth, so this page gives no figure. What is on record is a group of more than 10 dealerships with $750 million in sales back in 2015, steady acquisitions since, plus two Highland Park homes appraised at nearly $17 million combined on the county's appraisal rolls.

What is Clay Cooley's net worth?

An earlier version of this page said $15 million, with income of $750,000 a year. We could not find a reputable source for either figure, so both have been removed. The $750,000 income figure seems to have been confused with the $750 million in sales the group reported for 2015.

Dealership groups are private, and their owners' wealth depends on profit margins, real estate and franchise values that are rarely published. For Cooley, the public clues are the group's size and his property purchases. In late 2024 and early 2025 he and his wife bought two Highland Park homes that the Dallas Central Appraisal District valued at $8.55 million and $8.44 million, WFAA reported. Their purchase prices were not disclosed.

Where the money comes from

• Clay Cooley Auto Group. New and used car sales, financing and service across Dallas-Fort Worth. Brands have included Hyundai, Genesis, Mazda, Nissan, Ford, Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram, Volkswagen and Mitsubishi.
• Acquisitions. The group has grown by buying existing dealerships and renaming them, including stores in Arlington (2024) and Irving (2026).
• Real estate. High-value residential property in Highland Park, and presumably the land under some dealerships, although ownership of dealership sites has not been reported.

How the business grew

A Dallas native, Cooley opened his first used-car lot at Interstate 35E and Trinity Mills in 1998. His first new-car franchise, Clay Cooley Isuzu, followed in 2001, then others including Daewoo, Hyundai and Buick-GMC. By 2015 the group had over 10 dealerships and $750 million in total sales, according to WFAA.

The old page said Cooley started at Fernandez Buick-Pontiac-GMC. We could not confirm that, so it is not repeated here.

Recent changes (2025–2026)

Irving acquisition

On July 20, 2026, Clay Cooley Auto Group bought Norm Reeves Mazda, Norm Reeves Hyundai and Norm Reeves Genesis in Irving from The CAR Group. Pinnacle Mergers & Acquisitions advised on the deal, and the stores were renamed Clay Cooley Mazda, Hyundai and Genesis, CBT News reported. The price was not disclosed. In November 2024 the group had bought Don Davis Ford and Don Davis Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram in Arlington, giving it four stores in that city, Auto Remarketing reported.

The Highland Park "mushroom house"

The Cooleys' Highland Park purchases included the 1997 "mushroom house" on Armstrong Parkway, known for its copper dome roof, and a 1928 Tudor-style house on Bordeaux Avenue designed by architect Hal Thomson. Local preservationists raised concerns about the purchases. The mushroom house was torn down in January 2026, the Dallas Business Journal reported.

FTC pricing warning

In March 2026 the Federal Trade Commission sent warning letters about deceptive pricing to nearly 100 car dealers and dealer groups. When the agency published the list in May, it included "Clay Cooley Auto Group-Clay Cooley Enterprises," The Drive reported. The recipients also included national groups such as AutoNation, Hendrick and Lithia. The letters were warnings, not findings of wrongdoing.

Family

Cooley is married to Lisa Cooley, who is named with him on the Highland Park purchases. Their son Chase Cooley works in the business and spoke for the group about the 2024 Arlington deals; Auto Remarketing identified Clay Cooley as president and CEO. The old page's claims about his age (43), height and weight had no source and have been removed.

Net worth compared

Other business owners profiled here include Alvin Mansour and Chris Shontz. Among car dealers, Cooley's group is regional, not national. Its growth by acquisition has kept adding stores in a market where dealership values have risen, but no outlet has put a price on his stake.

Why no figure is given

To estimate Cooley's wealth you would need the group's current revenue and profit, the value of its franchises and real estate, and his personal property and debts. Only a few pieces of that are public: the 2015 sales figure and county appraisals of two homes. We will add a figure if a reputable outlet publishes one.