The billionaire head of the Detroit-based trucking family that has owned the Ambassador Bridge since the 1970s appears to have found powerful backing for their business interests. Matthew Maroun made a million-dollar campaign donation to MAGA Inc. back in January, according to campaign finance reports. In early February, President Donald Trump pushed back on the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, saying on Feb. 9 that he would block it.
The $6.4 billion, Canadian-taxpayer funded Gordie Howe Bridge could be seen as a threat to Maroun’s bottom line. The Ambassador Bridge charges commercial trucks $15 to $20 per axle to cross each way (a typical tractor-trailer can have five axles), reports The Windsor Star. Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security says three million commercial vehicles crossed the Ambassador in 2025, but that is expected to drop to about 1.6 million vehicles after the Howe Bridge opens.
Background on the Maroun Family
Matthew Maroun’s father, Matty, took sole control of the Ambassador Bridge in 1979. Matty was the son of a poor immigrant family, who once cleaned ashtrays in his father’s gas station in Detroit. But he went on to become a billionaire, reports The Windsor Star.
Matty was born in Detroit in 1927, two years before the Ambassador Bridge opened. His grandfather had fled Lebanon before the First World War, landing in South America and later in Windsor. The family moved to Detroit when the company building the Ambassador Bridge bought and demolished their Windsor home.
He went to the University of Detroit Jesuit High School before studying chemistry and biology at Notre Dame University. After he failed to get into medical school, he went to work at the Detroit gas station run by his father, Tufick.
Family Rise to Wealth
The family’s rise out of poverty began around 1950, when Tufick took over Central Cartage, a failing truck company that owed him money. He built a relationship with Teamsters union president Jimmy Hoffa, which gave him an edge over companies that were using non-union drivers.
By 1970, when Matty took over Central Cartage, the company had grown to 900 employees. General Motors used the firm as its main transporter. He expanded it further, including a move into Canada under the name McKinlay Transport.
With fleets of his trucks crossing the Ambassador Bridge, Moroun started buying shares in the bridge operation, eventually gaining 25 per cent ownership. Warren Buffett also owned 25 per cent, but Matty won control in July 1979 when he used his company’s credit line to buy out Buffett. Not long after, Moroun obtained full ownership by buying out the remaining shareholders.
Impact of the Bridge Delay
The completed Howe Bridge was initially set to open in early February. Now there is no official opening date. A June news release on the bridge’s website says “Canada and the United States have agreed to delay the opening of the bridge, taking the necessary time to resolve any outstanding issues.”
Matthew Maroun’s donation and Trump’s subsequent delay have raised questions about the influence of campaign contributions on infrastructure projects. The Ambassador Bridge remains a key revenue source for the Maroun family, and the new bridge could significantly reduce its traffic and toll income.
