[1] A high school dropout who later earned a GED in the United States Navy,[2] Knox was a successful entrepreneur who built an insurance advisory firm and sold it for nearly six million dollars in 1986.

The bank's income increased through the use of payday loans which charge high interest rates and are under fire from a number of states.

[5] In April 2013, Knox sued Table 31, a steakhouse at the Comcast Center, in part because the restaurant discontinued his meal discount.

[6] Knox briefly interrupted his business career to serve as Deputy Mayor for Management and Productivity under then-Mayor Ed Rendell.

[7] Rendell credited Knox with helping to save the city seven million dollars on better leases for office space.

The Philadelphia Daily News reported that his insurance company was fined $125,000 in Maryland for a number of violations including hiring a compliance officer who had a felony record for embezzlement.

In August 2008, Knox announced his candidacy for Pennsylvania's 2010 gubernatorial election;[18] he dropped out of the race in January 2010, giving his support to Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato.

[1][19] Knox was considered a potential candidate for governor in 2014,[20] or for mayor of Philadelphia in 2015,[21] but decided against both,[22] signaling a possible end to his political aspirations.