the life of pt barnum written by himself

He bought Princess Diana’s diamond and pearl necklace-and-earring-set and Elvis’ 1956 Lincoln Continental, but he drives a Chevy Tahoe that once had its driver’s side mirror held on by half a roll of clear tape. He has somehow managed to keep an everyman persona even while sponsoring bowl games and breaking bidding records at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

He is equal parts pious churchgoer and blustering carnival barker. He is driven by what he says is a deep fear of failure. His existence is a steady push-and-pull of humble acts and flashy bravado underpinned by a relentless ambition apparent since his teenage years. While Mack’s legend maintains itself with anecdotes retold almost verbatim, the man himself is far more complicated than a myth or a meme. Video: Elizabeth Conley Houston Chronicle MORE FROM THIS SERIES: 9 surprising facts about Jim 'Mattress Mack' McIngvale, Houston's legendary furniture salesmanĬommunity members weigh in on Jim McIngvale, and the many personas of the man behind Mattress Mack. There’s a chance he even called you personally to make sure. If you’re among that contingent, you’ll know he believes you are now having the best sleep of your life.

Maybe you bought a mattress from one of his three Gallery Furniture locations. Maybe you saw him waving from a float in the World Series parade. Maybe you grew up watching the low-budget commercials in which Mack, surrounded by furniture, whipped crumpled bills from his back pocket and did a little jump and promised Gallery Furniture could save you money. Pretty much everyone in Houston knows Mattress Mack because of his work. “Maybe it’s because he just works all the time. “I don't think that, socially, he feels that comfortable,” said Linda, his wife of 40-plus years. In the words of his wife and daughter, Jim McIngvale - the man behind the TV persona - is not. In his own words, Mattress Mack is a huckster, a self-promoter, a man born “under the astrological sign of P.T.

Patrick’s Day parade and who filed a high-profile lawsuit seeking records in search of possible improprieties in Harris County’s 2022 election. The Mattress Mack who served as grand marshal for Houston’s St. The Mattress Mack who went viral with an expletive-laden rant after an Astros World Series game the Mattress Mack who was subsequently rendered into the chains-and-bandana-wearing “Gangster Mack” meme. The jump-in-the-air-to-save-you-money Mattress Mack, the multimillion-dollar sports betting Mattress Mack, the Mattress Mack who fake-fought Muhammad Ali and made a movie with Chuck Norris.

The life of pt barnum written by himself