J.R. Ewing scored a lot of big deals on “Dallas,” including secretly mortgaging Southfork to finance risky Asian oil leases, duping his friends into buying the leases when the wells were nationalized, undercutting the cartel by opening a chain of cheap gas stations and becoming chairman of Westar (although that last one may or may not have actually happened).
Your #DallasChat Daily question: What was J.R.’s biggest business triumph?
Share your thoughts in the comments section below. Have a great discussion!
Dallas Decoder 
When J.R. got Bobby to allow him back into Ewing OIl.
This is when Bobby teamed up with Cliff. Bobby and J.R. were trapped in an elevator and during that time they buried the hatchet. J.R. had a great deal in the works and it looked great to Bobby. Bobby pitches the idea to Cliff Barnes and even Cliff says the numbers look great. J.R. is back and Cliff agrees to stay out of his way.
I thought reassembling the assets of Ewing Oil after the justice department took it was pretty impressive.
Oh he made it as Chairman of Westar Oil C.B. alright b/c that happened after the dream sequence years, I think it was in year 12 or 13 and he held the job while Brother Bobby & Ex-Wife & Good Friend Miss Texas Sue Ellen controlled Ewing Oil in a partnership. As for J.R.’s best business deal, I’d say it was the money & resources the family spent on ranch hands who were crack shots in order to rescue Brother Bobby from his kidnappers who accidentally took Bob tthe day Bob had to drive J.R.’s car home from work due to a flat tire on his vehicle! Saved Bob’s life with that expenditure didn’t ol’ J.R.?
The gas line deal in the 87-88 season. Pimping out Sly, he screws Cliff and Wendell and gets the physical part of Ewing Oil back.
I thought his best business deal was returning the ranch to Bobby in season 1 of Dallas TNT. He used more common sense than greed for once in his life. Honestly, JR was a horrible businessman. He frequently put short term gain ahead of long term gain and put the entire company or family in jeopardy in the process. His son had inherited this flaw as well. The company would have been better off with Bobby’s above board slow and steady approach.