2 7 ▁years ▁old . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁first ▁h ired ▁by ▁Circ uit ▁City ▁as ▁an ▁executive ▁vice ▁president ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 2 . ▁He ▁served ▁as ▁Circ uit ▁City ' s ▁chief ▁executive ▁from ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁to ▁ 2 0 0 0 . ▁Under ▁Sh arp , ▁Circ uit ▁City ' s ▁annual ▁re venue ▁grew ▁from ▁$ 1 7 5 ▁million ▁to ▁ 1 0 . 6 ▁billion ▁during ▁his ▁four teen - year ▁ten ure . ▁The ▁number ▁of ▁brick - and - mort ar ▁stores ▁also ▁increased ▁from ▁ 6 9 ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁to ▁more ▁than ▁ 6 0 0 ▁locations ▁by ▁ 2 0 0 0 . ▁Sh arp ▁also ▁moved ▁Circ uit ▁City ▁from ▁its ▁core ▁consumer ▁electron ics ▁business ▁into ▁new ▁vent ures , ▁such ▁as ▁home ▁security . ▁Crit ics ▁have ▁argued ▁that ▁the ▁move ▁into ▁these ▁new ▁vent ures ▁caused ▁Circ uit ▁City ▁to ▁lose ▁focus ▁amid ▁growing ▁competition . ▁Sh arp ▁retired ▁as ▁Circ uit ▁City ' s ▁CE O ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁and ▁left ▁the ▁company ' s ▁board ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 2 . ▁ ▁All ▁Circ uit ▁City ▁stores ▁closed ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁due ▁to ▁competition ▁from ▁other ▁ret ail ers , ▁such ▁as ▁Best ▁Bu y , ▁and ▁e - commerce . ▁In ▁a ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁interview ▁with ▁the ▁Richmond ▁Times - Dispatch , ▁Sh arp ▁critic ized ▁the