Frederick W. Smith Biography: Net Worth, Awards, Wife, Age, Children, Businesses, Height, Death
Frederick Wallace Smith, popularly known as Frederick W. Smith, was an American business magnate, investor and philanthropist best known as the founder of FedEx Corporation.
He conceived the idea for an integrated overnight delivery network while studying at Yale and transformed it into a global transportation company.
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Smith served as FedEx’s chairman and chief executive for decades before becoming executive chairman.
He was also a decorated U.S. Marine Corps officer who served two tours in Vietnam.
| Frederick W. Smith | |
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| Wiki Facts & About Data | |
| Real Name: | Frederick Wallace Smith |
| Stage Name: | Frederick W. Smith |
| Born: | 11 August 1944 |
| Died: | 21 June 2025 (age 80 years old) |
| Place of Birth: | Marks, Mississippi, United States |
| Nationality: | American |
| Parents: | James Frederick Smith, Sally Wallace Smith |
| Siblings: | Richard Smith, Fredette Smith Eagle, Laura Ann Patterson |
| Spouse: | Linda Black Grisham (1969–1977), Diane Smith (2006–2025) |
| Relationship: | Widowed |
| Children: | Windland Smith Rice, Stacey Rokas, Laurie Hooper, Richard Smith, Kathleen Forbush, Molly Heussenstamm, Arthur Smith, Rachel O'Neal, Sam Atkinson, Cannon Smith |
| Occupation: | Business Magnate, Investor, Philanthropist |
| Net Worth: | $5.3 billion |
Early Life and Education
Frederick W. Smith was born on 11 August 1944 in Marks, Mississippi, to James Frederick Smith and Sally Wallace Smith.
His father founded the Toddle House restaurant chain and the Smith Motor Coach Company, while his mother raised Frederick and his brother, Richard, after their father’s death when Frederick was four.
He also had two older half-sisters from his father’s earlier marriage: Fredette Smith Eagle and Laura Ann Patterson.
Smith attended Presbyterian Day School and Memphis University School before entering Yale College in 1962.
He graduated in 1966 with a bachelor’s degree in economics, having developed the concept for an integrated air-ground delivery system during his university years.
After Yale, he served four years as a U.S. Marine Corps officer, including two tours in Vietnam, earning the Silver Star, Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts.
Smith was of White American ethnicity and was raised in the Episcopal Christian tradition.
Career
Frederick W. Smith founded Federal Express Corporation in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1971 after developing his idea for an overnight delivery network.
The company began operations in Memphis on 17 April 1973 with 14 aircraft, 389 employees and service to 25 U.S. cities.
Despite severe financial difficulties during its early years, Smith secured the resources needed to keep the company operating and gradually built Federal Express into a major transportation enterprise.
His growing company eventually became FedEx Corporation, expanding into a worldwide logistics and transportation network.
Smith remained chairman and CEO for decades, stepping down as CEO in 2022 and becoming executive chairman.
Beyond FedEx, he served on numerous corporate and charitable boards, including St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the Mayo Foundation, and played significant roles in aviation, business, veterans’ affairs and humanitarian initiatives.
His innovation fundamentally changed the global express-delivery industry.
Personal Life
Frederick W. Smith, born on 11 August 1944, died at 80 years of age on 21 June 2025. He was married first to Linda Black Grisham from 1969 until their divorce in 1977, and later to Diane Smith from 2006 until his death.
Smith fathered ten children: Windland Smith Rice, Stacey Rokas, Laurie Hooper, Richard Smith, Kathleen Forbush, Molly Heussenstamm, Arthur Smith, Rachel O’Neal, Sam Atkinson and Cannon Smith; Windland preceded him in death. He was also a grandfather of 31 and a great-grandfather of two.
Net Worth
Frederick W. Smith had an estimated net worth of $5.3 billion at the time of his death. His fortune was built through his ownership and long-term leadership of FedEx, alongside investments and board positions in major businesses.
His wealth reflected the enormous growth of the company he founded from a small overnight-delivery operation into a global transportation corporation.
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