Last updated: October 25, 2026
Rick Jackson is a 72-year-old billionaire and the Republican nominee for governor of Georgia. He founded Jackson Healthcare, a medical staffing company based in Alpharetta. He had never run for office before 2026. He faces Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms on Nov. 3, and the latest AJC poll shows the race tied.
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Quick facts
Full name: Richard Lee Jackson
Born: March 16, 1954. Grew up in Atlanta.
Age: 72
Company: Founder and CEO of Jackson Healthcare, Alpharetta, Georgia
Party: Republican
Running for: Governor of Georgia. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026.
Opponent: Keisha Lance Bottoms, former mayor of Atlanta (Democrat)
Family: Wife, Melody. Three children. His son Shane Jackson is president of Jackson Healthcare.
Home: Cumming, Georgia
Net worth: About $1 billion, per Forbes (Oct. 2026)
Who is Rick Jackson?
Jackson grew up poor in Midtown Atlanta. Forbes reports he spent part of his childhood in the Techwood Homes public housing project. His father left when he was a baby. His mother struggled with alcohol. His campaign says he entered foster care as a teenager.
He went to Lipscomb University in Nashville but did not finish.
In 1978 he started a business recruiting doctors to work in rural towns in the South. Investors pushed him out in the late 1980s. The New York Times reports he later bought the company’s assets back out of bankruptcy.
In 2000 he founded Jackson Healthcare. It places doctors, nurses and other medical workers in hospitals that need them. Today it is a family of about 20 companies. Forbes puts its revenue at about $3 billion a year.
In February 2026 he jumped into the race for governor. He paid for most of his campaign himself. He finished first in the May primary. In the June runoff he beat Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who had President Trump’s endorsement. Trump now backs Jackson and held a rally for him in Perry, Georgia, on Oct. 24.
Career timeline
1954: Born March 16.
1978: Starts his first medical recruiting business.
Late 1980s: Pushed out of that company by investors. Later buys its assets back out of bankruptcy.
2000: Founds Jackson Healthcare.
2012: Buys Family Christian Stores. The chain filed for bankruptcy in 2015.
2015: Co-produces the faith film 90 Minutes in Heaven.
2021: Launches a blank-check company, Jackson Acquisition Co., with former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. It shut down in 2023 without a deal.
February 2026: Enters the race for Georgia governor.
May 19, 2026: Finishes first in the Republican primary with about 32.5% of the vote.
June 16, 2026: Beats Burt Jones in the runoff.
Oct. 24, 2026: Trump holds a rally for him in Perry, Georgia.
Nov. 3, 2026: Election Day.
Notable deals & projects
Jackson Healthcare: A medical staffing group of about 20 companies with about 2,500 employees, per The New York Times.
Drug manufacturing: His group owns USAntibiotics, an amoxicillin plant in Bristol, Tennessee.
State contracts: His companies have earned about $1 billion from Georgia state contracts since 2020, WABE reported. That includes a no-bid pandemic staffing contract worth more than $40 million, per Georgia Health News.
Federal contract: One of his companies won a contract worth up to $2.6 billion to provide medical staff at ICE detention centers. His campaign says no work or money has flowed from it yet.
SPAC with Jeb Bush: Jackson Acquisition Co. raised $200 million in 2021 and closed in 2023 without buying a company.
Self-funding: Politico reported on Oct. 21 that he has spent nearly $200 million of his own money on the race.
Want the full story? Read our profile of another self-made billionaire — The self-made billionaire who never read an investment book — then subscribe free.
What he’s known for
His comeback story: Public housing, foster care, a business he lost and won back.
Spending: He is one of the biggest self-funders in the history of Georgia politics.
Taxes: He has promised to freeze property taxes and cut the state income tax in half.
Trump: He has pitched himself as a close Trump ally. “I’m going to be Trump’s favorite governor. I guarantee you,” he said (via Forbes).
Faith: He talks often about his Christian faith. He co-produced 90 Minutes in Heaven.
In the news
Oct. 25, 2026: The New York Times published a long look at his business career, “He Took Big Risks to Make Billions. He Wants Georgia Voters to Bet on Him.”
Oct. 24, 2026: Trump held a rally for Jackson in Perry, Georgia.
Oct. 2026: An AJC poll (Oct. 7–15, 1,000 likely voters, margin of error ±3.1 points) had Jackson at 46% and Bottoms at 45%, with 8% undecided.
Quotes
“God has blessed me beyond anything I imagined. I know what it means to struggle. I know what it means to get a second chance.” — at an October 2026 debate (via The New York Times)
“I can’t be bought.” — on self-funding his campaign (via The New York Times)
“I have failed more than any human being you’ll ever meet.” — to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 2015 (via The New York Times)
“I’m going to be Trump’s favorite governor. I guarantee you.” — (via Forbes)
“He’s spending millions of dollars trying to hold onto the billions he’s making off the taxpayers of Georgia.” — Keisha Lance Bottoms, on Jackson (via The New York Times)
Controversies / criticism
State contracts: Critics, including Bottoms, say a governor should not own companies that earn money from the state. Jackson has pledged to stop taking new state contracts if elected. He has not said whether he would put his holdings in a blind trust.
IRS lawsuit: In 2024 the IRS sued his investment company. It says the company underreported about $72 million of income in 2019, tied to film deductions, and seeks about $38 million. The case is ongoing.
Federal settlement: One of his companies paid $700,000 to settle a federal kickback case. Prosecutors credited it for cooperating.
Foreign nurses: His company paid $3 million to settle a lawsuit by foreign nurses over “stay-or-pay” contract penalties.
ICE contract: Democrats have attacked the detention-center staffing contract.
Family Christian Stores: His purchase of the chain, and its 2015 bankruptcy, drew scrutiny.
Net worth & money
Forbes estimates his net worth at about $1 billion (October 2026). Forbes gives him a self-made score of 10, its highest. Most of his wealth comes from Jackson Healthcare and his other private companies. He lives in a 47,000-square-foot home in Cumming, Georgia.
FAQ
Who is Rick Jackson?
He is a billionaire healthcare staffing executive and the Republican nominee for governor of Georgia in 2026.
How old is Rick Jackson?
He is 72. He was born March 16, 1954.
How did Rick Jackson make his money?
He founded Jackson Healthcare in 2000. It places doctors, nurses and other medical workers in hospitals.
Who is Rick Jackson running against?
Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former mayor of Atlanta.
When is the Georgia governor election?
Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026.
Has Trump endorsed Rick Jackson?
Yes, for the general election. Trump backed Burt Jones in the primary. After Jackson won the runoff, Trump supported him and held a rally for him on Oct. 24.
How much is Rick Jackson worth?
About $1 billion, according to Forbes.
Is Rick Jackson married?
Yes. His wife is Melody Jackson. They have three children.
Further reading
He Took Big Risks to Make Billions. He Wants Georgia Voters to Bet on Him. — The New York Times
Rick Jackson profile — Forbes
Author Rob Henderson on growing up in foster care — The Profile
The self-made billionaire who never read an investment book — The Profile
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