Who controls The Villages?

H. Gary Morse is the name of the investor who owns and manages the Villages retirement community in Ocala, Florida. Morse controls many aspects of life on the large property, including the local radio and television station, many of the commercial spaces and the Village's 39 golf courses.

The Villages is one of the largest retirement communities in the world. It sits on a 33-square-mile lot of land in south Florida, where Morse has built around 44,000 houses since opening the property in 1983. The community also has restaurants, movie theaters and two hotels. As of 2011, the Villages has generated an estimated $1 billion in revenue for the Morse family.