Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/Wikimedia
Billionaire Joe Ricketts suffered a setback in his effort to reshape a rural Wyoming valley last week, after the local board of commissioners shot down his latest development proposal—prompting onlookers to erupt with applause.
The billionaire’s ambitions have riled up Sublette County residents for more than a year. In Dec. 2021, he narrowly won approval to build a luxury resort on his ranch in Bondurant (population: 108), which sparked outrage and litigation that ultimately went Ricketts’ way.
“This is a small community, and I feel that he stomped on all of us,” one resident told The Daily Beast at the time of the approval.