🏠Bass Pro Shops — Key Facts
| Founder & Owner | Johnny Morris |
| Founded | 1971, Springfield, Missouri |
| Type | Private company — not publicly traded |
| Headquarters | Springfield, Missouri, USA |
| Cabela’s Acquisition | Acquired Cabela’s in 2017 for $5.5 billion |
| Stores | 200+ Bass Pro shops + 100+ Cabela’s stores |
| Johnny Morris Net Worth | ~$8–10 billion (Forbes estimate) |
Bass Pro Shops is one of America’s most beloved outdoor sporting goods retailers — and it is owned outright by its founder, Johnny Morris, who has kept the company private since he started selling fishing lures from the back of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri in 1971. Morris remains sole owner and has never taken Bass Pro public despite its enormous scale.
Who Is the Owner of Bass Pro Shops?
Bass Pro Shops is 100% owned by Johnny Morris. There are no outside investors, private equity partners, or public shareholders. Morris founded the business in 1971 at age 19 when he started a small fishing tackle department in his father’s liquor store (the Brown Derby Liquor Store in Springfield, Missouri). He grew it into a retail phenomenon and has consistently refused to sell or take the company public, maintaining full control and a singularly personal connection to the brand. His estimated net worth is approximately $8–10 billion, according to Forbes, making him one of Missouri’s wealthiest residents.
Bass Pro’s Iconic Stores and the Sportsman’s Warehouse
Bass Pro Shops is famous for its destination-style retail stores — often occupying 300,000+ square feet, featuring indoor waterfalls, aquariums, log-cabin decor, taxidermy displays, and outdoor-themed environments that turn shopping into an experience. The flagship store in Springfield, Missouri — the “Outdoor World” — is one of Missouri’s most visited tourist attractions. Bass Pro stores often include restaurants, wildlife museums, and bowling alleys. This experiential retail model predated the “retailtainment” trend by decades and has been widely studied and imitated.
The Cabela’s Acquisition
In September 2017, Bass Pro Shops completed the acquisition of Cabela’s — its largest competitor in the outdoor sporting goods space — for approximately $5.5 billion. Cabela’s had been publicly traded (NYSE: CAB) before the acquisition. The deal created the dominant force in US outdoor retail, combining Bass Pro’s destination-retail model with Cabela’s strong catalog and e-commerce heritage. Both brands continue to operate under their separate names, with different store aesthetics and geographic footprints serving their distinct customer bases.