Larry Potterfield Net Worth 2026: MidwayUSA Founder and Chair

No reputable publisher has released a net worth estimate for Larry Potterfield, and the $156.3 million figure and income table that were on this page had no source, so we have removed them. Potterfield, born January 16, 1949, in Ely, Missouri, founded MidwayUSA in a small gun shop in Columbia, Missouri, in 1977. The family-owned company is now a major online retailer of shooting, hunting and outdoor gear, and Wikipedia's article on the company lists revenue of about $525 million for 2024. In July 2026 he was still founder, chairman and CEO when the company named a new president.

What Is Larry Potterfield's Net Worth?

There is no published estimate. MidwayUSA is private, so its profit, debt and valuation are not disclosed, and the revenue figure above is not audited public data. Potterfield and his wife, Brenda, have owned the company outright since his brother sold his share in 1980, which means most of their wealth is likely tied up in the business. They have also given large sums to charity through their own foundation, which reduces any simple estimate.

The old page claimed he does not take a salary from MidwayUSA. We could not find a source for that and removed it.

Where the Money Comes From: MidwayUSA

The business opened at noon on June 18, 1977, in a 1,630-square-foot metal building near Columbia, under the name Ely Arms. Larry's brother Jerry was an early co-owner and sold out in 1980. Because the Ely name clashed with the Eley ammunition trademark, it became Midway Arms, after the small community where it was based, and adopted the MidwayUSA name in 1998.

• Early growth: a mail-order division started in 1977 with small batches of hard-to-find ammunition. MidwayUSA became the first distributor of bulk pistol brass for Starline, and Winchester began selling it bulk components in 1984.
• Today: an online retailer selling in the continental U.S., with a 400,000-square-foot distribution center that Potterfield showed off in a 2023 video tour.
• Revenue: about $525 million in 2024, per Wikipedia's company infobox.
• Quality awards: the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in 2009 and 2015 (the company counts three in total) and the Missouri Quality Award in 2008 and 2015.

Career Timeline

Recent Changes (2025–2026)

In July 2026 MidwayUSA promoted Jeff Larkin, a 33-year company veteran, to president. The announcement said Larkin reports to Larry Potterfield as founder, chairman and CEO, so Potterfield remains in charge while day-to-day operations pass to Larkin. In June 2026 Potterfield marked the company's 49th year with a customer letter crediting his wife, family and staff. He also keeps publishing his series of short stories and gunsmithing videos, released through the company, including a 2025 story about the Officer's Model Springfield rifle.

Philanthropy: The MidwayUSA Foundation

The Potterfields founded the MidwayUSA Foundation in 2007. It is a 501(c)(3) public charity that raises money for youth shooting teams and holds it in endowments, paying out the income to teams. Shooting Sports USA reported in 2023 that more than 2,800 teams had received money through its Team Endowment Program. The foundation says the Potterfields cover its operating costs so that donations go fully to teams.

In 2011 the couple also helped create the Youth Wildlife Conservation Experience, a program teaching high school students about conservation and ethical hunting, and they have funded it at several conservation groups.

Awards

His honors include the NRA Life of Liberty Leadership Award (2014), the Beretta and Safari Club International Foundation Conservation Leadership Award and the John L. Morris Award from the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (both 2015, with Brenda), the Dallas Safari Club's Peter Hathaway Capstick Hunting Heritage Award (2017) and Safari Club International's C.J. McElroy Award (2018).

Personal Life

Potterfield grew up the third of six children in rural Missouri and got his first shotgun at 13. He met Brenda at Hannibal-LaGrange College; they have been married since 1970 and have two adult children. In October 2017 he broke his leg in a fall from a deer-hunting blind and, after surgery at MU Health Care, was hunting again the next season. We removed an unsourced height listing.

Net Worth Compared

Potterfield is one of the few founders on this site who still owns and runs the company he started nearly 50 years ago. Compare Chuck Brennan, another Midwest-born founder, and Charles Loflin. We have also profiled Sam Riggs Bozoian and Nellie Tiger Travis.

Why There Is No Reliable Figure

A family-owned retailer's value depends on profit margins and debt that MidwayUSA does not publish. Revenue alone does not tell you what a company is worth. We will add an estimate if a reputable outlet publishes one.