▁choices ▁made ▁by ▁the ▁company ' s ▁execut ives ▁after ▁he ▁left ▁the ▁company , ▁" It ▁is ▁a ▁sad ▁thing ... They ▁made ▁some ▁stupid ▁dec isions ▁after ▁I ▁left ." ▁ ▁Rick ▁Sh arp , ▁the ▁then ▁chief ▁executive ▁of ▁Circ uit ▁City , ▁delivered ▁a ▁speech ▁to ▁a ▁conference ▁held ▁by ▁J . ▁D . ▁Power ▁and ▁Associ ates ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 9 0 s . ▁Following ▁his ▁speech , ▁Sh arp ▁conce ived ▁of ▁a ▁potential ▁Circ uit ▁City ▁expansion ▁into ▁the ▁autom ot ive ▁ret ail ▁business . ▁Sh arp ▁led ▁a ▁team ▁of ▁Circ uit ▁City ▁execut ives ▁who ▁created ▁a ▁used ▁car ▁ret ail er ▁focused ▁on ▁two ▁main ▁ideas : ▁no ▁h agg ling ▁and ▁a ▁huge ▁invent ory . ▁The ▁team ▁rejected ▁several ▁proposed ▁names , ▁including ▁" H on est ▁Rick ’ s ▁U sed ▁C ars " ▁and ▁" Sh arp ▁Mot ors " ▁before ▁choosing ▁Car Max . ▁Co - f ounded ▁by ▁Sh arp ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 3 , ▁Car Max ▁grew ▁to ▁$ 1 2 . 5 ▁billion ▁in ▁annual ▁sales ▁at ▁approximately ▁ 1 3 5 ▁locations ▁by ▁ 2 0 1 3 . ▁Sh arp ▁h ired ▁Thomas ▁J . ▁Fol li ard ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁Car Max ' s ▁first ▁employees . ▁Fol li ard ▁has ▁served ▁as ▁the ▁president ▁and ▁chief ▁executive ▁of ▁Car Max ▁since ▁ 2 0 0 6 . ▁ ▁Sh arp ▁was ▁a ▁found ing ▁invest