Who, exactly, is J.D. Power?

J.D. Power has become a household name thanks to the organization's yearly awards based on in-depth consumer surveys about all manner of goods and services. In the automotive industry, manufacturers constantly struggle to best each other for top honors, and that struggle has helped push the industry toward ever-better quality. But as Ward's Auto points out, few people know the man behind the name.
James David Power III began licensing manufacturers to use his award in advertisements in 1986, two years after Subaru dropped the J.D. Power name in a Super Bowl ad.

In 2005, Power sold J.D.

Autoblog, Who, exactly, is J.D. Power?