Episode 366: He Built a $400M Company… Then Gave It Away | Alan Barnhart | FDE Podcast Ep. 366

Stewardship, Generosity, and the Finish Line: 40 Years of Faithful Business with Alan Barnhart

What does it look like to build a company worth hundreds of millions of dollars—and then give it away? Join host Justin Forman as he sits down with Alan Barnhart, co-founder of Barnhart Crane & Rigging, for a conversation 40 years in the making. Alan shares the convictions forged early in marriage and business that led him and his wife Katherine to cap their lifestyle, transfer 99% of their company to a ministry trust, and give away over $21 million in a single year—all while insisting they've been the real beneficiaries.

This episode is a masterclass in stewardship theology, collaborative giving, and the dangerous beauty of holding everything with an open hand.

Key Topics:

• The two biblical convictions that shaped every financial decision Alan and Katherine ever made
• Why Alan set a lifestyle cap before his company ever took off—and how that decision protected his marriage, his family, and his faith
• How Barnhart Crane & Rigging went from 10 employees and $1.5M in revenue to 1,000+ employees and $400M+ in revenue—and what Alan attributes it to
• Why Alan believes giving away money strategically is harder than making it—and why collaboration is the only answer
• The moment Alan and his brother decided to give away 99% of a company worth hundreds of millions of dollars
• What Alan tells every entrepreneur who asks "What's the number?"
• The stewardship of your story: why Alan and Katherine kept quiet for 15 years—and what finally changed

Notable Quotes:

"God is the owner, you are the steward. Ask him what he wants you to do." — Alan Barnhart

"We have been the beneficiaries of this, not the givers." — Alan Barnhart

"It was right and good and legally brought us into a position where we already were spiritually." — Katherine Barnhart