Well, lemme tell ya about a fella named Thomas G. Cousins. He’s done mighty well for himself, that one. As of October 2024, the man’s worth a whopping $56 million, and that’s just from his shares in Cousins Properties Inc., a big ol’ real estate company. You know, he owns ’round 1.9 million shares of that company, and when you add it all up, that’s a whole lotta money.
Now, Cousins ain’t just some fella who lucked into his riches. No sir, he’s worked hard for everything he’s got. Born way back in December 1931, he grew up in Georgia. He was the second of four kids in his family. His old man was a car salesman, and I reckon that taught him a thing or two about business early on. After finishing up school, he got himself a degree from the University of Georgia in 1952, and soon after, he and his daddy started up their own real estate company. That was back in 1958, mind ya, and look where they are now.

Cousins Properties Inc., the company he’s known for, has grown mighty big. Last I heard, it’s worth a good $4.56 billion as of November 2024. And let me tell ya, that’s not just luck, that’s a whole lotta hard work and smart decisions. Under Cousins’ leadership, the company’s market value shot up by almost 64% in just one year. That’s impressive, I don’t care who ya are.
But Tom Cousins, he ain’t just about makin’ money. He’s a real philanthropist too. Back in 1995, he founded the East Lake Foundation in Atlanta. It was a big ol’ project where they worked with the local housing authority to build some mixed-income homes for folks who needed it. That’s the kind of thing that shows he’s got a good heart, helpin’ people out while he’s also workin’ hard to make a name for himself.
And let me tell ya, he didn’t just stop at real estate. In the 1960s, Cousins went ahead and bought himself a basketball team—the St. Louis Hawks. But he didn’t keep ‘em there. No, sir, he moved ‘em right down to Atlanta where they became the Atlanta Hawks. Now, back then, Atlanta didn’t have a fancy arena like it does now, but Cousins wasn’t about to let that stop him. He built himself an arena, and it didn’t take long before the Hawks became a big part of the city.
In addition to all this, Cousins has received all kinds of honors over the years. He’s chaired the University of Georgia Foundation, and he’s been given honorary degrees from a few places, including the University of Georgia, Emory University, and Oglethorpe University. Not bad for a fella who started out in a car salesman’s family, huh?
Cousins has had a full life, it seems. From his humble beginnings to building one of the biggest real estate companies in Georgia, and even bringin’ an NBA team to Atlanta. He’s also been recognized as one of the top philanthropists in the country, and that’s somethin’ that really says a lot about the man.

So, when you look at Thomas G. Cousins and his net worth, ya gotta remember it didn’t just fall into his lap. He’s worked hard, made smart decisions, and has always been about doin’ good for the community. $56 million? Well, I’d say that’s well earned.
Key Highlights About Tom Cousins:
- Net Worth: $56 Million as of October 2024
- Real Estate Success: Founder of Cousins Properties Inc.
- Philanthropy: Founder of East Lake Foundation in Atlanta
- Sports Impact: Bought the Atlanta Hawks in 1968
- Academic Honors: Received honorary degrees from multiple universities
Tom Cousins is proof that with a good heart, smart decisions, and a whole lotta work, you can go from humble beginnings to making a real difference in the world.
Tags:[Thomas G. Cousins, Tom Cousins net worth, Cousins Properties, Atlanta Hawks, real estate, philanthropist, East Lake Foundation, sports businessman, Georgia business leaders]