Charles Butt | $10B+

Get in touch with Charles Butt | Charles Butt is the chairman and CEO of H‑E‑B, the San Antonio‑based supermarket chain founded by his grandmother in 1905. Taking over leadership in 1971, he transformed H‑E‑B into a $39–42 billion private company with over 400 stores across Texas and Mexico. A Wharton and Harvard MBA alum, Butt is also a generous philanthropist—pledging more than $150 million to education initiatives and public school teachers, and earning Mexico’s Aztec Eagle Medal for cross-border giving.

Charles Clarence Butt (born February 3, 1938) is an American heir and billionaire. He inherited his family's San Antonio–based H-E-B supermarket chain in 1971. The privately held company has more than 400 stores and $38.9 billion in sales, according to Forbes.[1] Charles Butt Born Charles Clarence Butt February 3, 1938 (age 87) Nationality American Education University of Pennsylvania Harvard University Title Chairman and CEO, H-E-B Term 1971– Parent(s) Howard Edward Butt Sr. Mary Elizabeth Holdsworth In late 2019, Butt and his family had a net worth of over US$10 billion, according to Forbes. Butt was listed #230 on Forbes billionaire list in 2025.[2] Contents Early life edit Charles Clarence Butt was born on February 3, 1938, the son of Howard Edward Butt Sr. and Mary Elizabeth Holdsworth, and the grandson of Florence Butt, who founded H-E-B in 1905.[3] Butt graduated from University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School with a bachelor's degree.[4] He earned an MBA from Harvard Business School.[5] Career edit Butt became chairman, CEO, and president of the H-E-B Grocery Company in 1971.[6][3] In late 2019, Butt and his family had a net worth of over US$10 billion, according to Forbes.[3] Awards and recognition edit In 2013, AdvisoryCloud ranked Butt as the No. 5 CEO on its Top Chief Executive List.[7] In November 2001, the Mexican government awarded Butt the Aguila Azteca medal for his philanthropic involvement and business dealings in Mexico.[8] Philanthropy edit Butt pledged $50 million to the Raising Texas Teachers scholarship fund to support the training of Texas public school teachers.[9] In January 2017, he pledged $100 million to Texas public education and created The Holdsworth Center, named after his mother Mary Elizabeth Butt (née Holdsworth).[10][11] In September 2017, Butt donated $5 million to J. J. Watt's Houston Hurricane Harvey relief fund.[12][13] In May 2018, Butt pledges to The Giving Pledge and writes in his release that he intends to help children and teachers.[14] In March 2024, Butt donated $500,000 to the State of Texas Agricultural Relief (STAR) Fund to aid Texas farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural businesses affected by the wildfires there.[15] Personal life edit In 2024, Butt donated about 75 pieces from his personal art collection to museums in Texas.[16] Butt and his family were excluded from the annual Forbes list of the world's top billionaires beginning in 2016. The magazine changed its methodology to exclude individuals from families that share their fortunes.[17] Butt frequently donates to political campaigns, primarily those of Republicans but has donated to various Democratic campaigns as well.

---

Join UHNWI direct Affiliate Program

Earn Passive Income by Sharing Verified Contact Information of Billionaires, Centi-Millionaires, and Multi-Millionaires on the UHNWI Direct Platform

Maximize your earnings potential by sharing direct and validated contact information of the ultra-wealthy, including billionaires, centi-millionaires, and multi-millionaires. Join the UHNWI Direct platform and tap into a lucrative passive income stream by providing valuable data to those seeking high-net-worth connections. Start earning today with UHNWI Direct.

You may also be interested in reviewing other UHNWIs profiles.

To find the person you want to contact, start typing their name or other relevant tags in the search bar.

Please note: Our database contains over 10,000 direct contacts of UHNWIs, and it is highly likely that the individual you are seeking is already included. However, creating individual profiles for each contact is a meticulous and time-intensive process, So, if you are unable to find the profile of the individual you are looking for, please click here.

Filter by Net Worth: All | Billionaires | Centi-Millionaires | Multi-Millionaires

Filter by Location: All | USA | Canada | Europe | UK | Russia & CIS | Asia | MEIA | Australia | Latin America

Filter by Age: 1920-1930 | 1930-1940 | 1940-1950 | 1950-1960 | 1960-1970 | 1970-1980 | 1980-1990 | 1990-2000

Filter by: Men | Women

Related People

Marketing Tools

Essential marketing tools to effectively engage wealthy individuals, tailored to meet any personal, marketing, or sales objectives.

Use tags below for more precise targeting.