Johnson’s tenacity and determination have taken him far. As a student, Johnson worked as a handyman, leading him to start his own business, Big J Enterprises, which he grew into a multimillion-dollar plumbing corporation.

Johnson ran for governor of New Mexico on a low-tax, law-and-order platform. He won – twice – leaving his state with a $1 billion budget surplus and becoming the highest-ranking elected official in the US to advocate legalizing marijuana. Johnson is a Libertarian Party darling and an avid athlete who abstains from alcohol but talks openly about using marijuana.