Simplot Recovering From Spinal Surgery

Sun., May 3, 1998

From Staff

Billionaire J.R. Simplot is recovering from surgery to relieve pressure on his sciatic nerve brought on by an arthritic block in his spinal column.

The 90-minute surgery was performed Thursday by Drs. Christian Zimmerman and David Henbest at St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center. They said Simplot, 89, would be discharged Saturday.

“It went extremely well. They had him moving in his room by noon yesterday,” Simplot spokesman Fred Zerza said Friday.

The sciatic nerve extends from the pelvis down the back of each leg to the feet. It controls feeling and movement in the legs and feet.

Simplot is the founder and former chairman of the J.R. Simplot Co., a privately held agribusiness company based in Boise. He also is a director and the biggest shareholder of Micron Technology Inc.

Last September, Forbes magazine reported that Simplot was the 36th-richest person in the United States.

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Simplot Recovering From Spinal Surgery

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