Jimmy Buffett’s business empire went beyond searching for his ‘lost shaker of salt’

Jimmy Buffett worked hard to build a business based on taking it easy. His 1977 song "Margaritaville" spawned an entire "island escapism" brand. As chairman of Margarita Holdings LLC — in which Buffett held a 28% stake — he had resorts, restaurants, casinos, cruises and merchandise, and his business acumen landed him on the Forbes billionaires list for the first time last April. Meanwhile, The Margaritaville café on the Las Vegas strip was said to be the top-grossing restaurant in the nation. He had an estimated wealth of $1 billion...