Kansas ordered to pay $63 million to pizza magnate

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - The Kansas Supreme Court has ordered the state to pay more than $63 million to settle a 16-year tax dispute with former pizza magnate Gene Bicknell.

The court ruled on Friday that Bicknell was a Florida resident in 2005 and 2006, when he sold NPC International, which at the time was the largest owner of Pizza Huts in the world.

State officials argued that Bicknell, a longtime resident of Pittsburg, was a Kansas resident when he sold the company, which would have meant millions in sales tax revenue for the state. In 2020, Bicknell said Kansas owed him $63 million - his original tax bill plus interest.