The billionaire family behind Omni Hotels says it’s just a lender to Justice’s historic Greenbrier, which would fit nicely into its portfolio of golf resorts.

Could Senator Jim Justice’s days as owner of the storied Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia be coming to an end?

In late March the Dallas-based Rowling family, which owns Omni Hotels, paid $289 million to publicly traded Carter Bank & Trust to acquire the first lien debt on the Greenbrier and other Justice assets. This could be a big step toward Omni acquiring the entire resort with its 710 rooms and four golf courses.

In 2024, Carter Bank had threatened to auction off the Greenbrier to pay down Justice’s debts, just months before the former governor of West Virginia was elected as U.S. Senator representing the state. Justice promised to keep up with payments of more than $2 million per month. Despite his political successes, the former coal billionaire has a long history of defaulting on his debts. In addition to the $200 million he now owes Omni, Justice is on the hook to other lenders for at least $500 million more.

Blake Rowling, 42, CEO of TRT Holdings, which owns Omni, says he and his father Bob, 72, “have had an admiration of the Greenbrier forever. It’s one of America’s greatest resorts.”

“We love the place,” says Rowling, who cautions against jumping to conclusions. This is an investment; ownership is not changing hands yet. “We’re just a lender right now. We........

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