Fred Smith was an American business magnate and investor. He was best known as the founder of FedEx Corporation. He died on 21st June 2025 at the age of 80. He was the founder and chairman of the world’s largest transportation company. Here we bring some information about his personal life.
Death Reason & Age
As per media reports, he died on 21st June 2025, and he was 80 years old when he died. He passed away after having a heart attack, according to FedEx Corporation.
Early Life & Educational Details
His full name was Frederick Wallace Smith. He was born on 11 August 1944 in Marks, Mississippi, United States. Smith had a bone disease when he was young, but he recovered by the time he was 10.
He studied at Presbyterian Day School in Memphis for elementary school and then went to Memphis University School for high school. As a teenager, he also learned how to fly and became an amateur pilot.
He started studying economics at Yale University in 1962 and finished with a bachelor’s degree in 1966. During college, he was friends with George W. Bush, who later became the U.S. president.
He joined the Delta Kappa Epsilon (DKE) fraternity, where he later became president, and he was also part of the secret group called Skull and Bones.
Wife, Children & Parents
According to the reports, he was married twice. His first wife’s name was Linda Black Grisham (m. 1969–1977), and then he married Diane Smith. He had ten children.
Some of them are well-known, like Windland Smith Rice, who was a photographer, Molly Smith, a movie producer, and Arthur Smith, who used to be the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons and is now the offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
His oldest son, Richard W. Smith, holds a top executive position at FedEx. He was born to American parents.
His father’s name was Mr. James Frederick “Fred” Smith, who was the founder of the Toddle House restaurant chain and the Smith Motor Coach Company. His mother’s name was Mrs. Sally Wallace. There is no information available about his siblings.
Net Worth, Religion & Ethnicity
As per media reports, his estimated net worth of $4.8 billion as of April 2025 from all of his income sources. He had American White Ethnicity. There is no information available about his religion.
Business Career Journey
After finishing college, He joined the U.S. Marine Corps. He served for three years, from 1966 to 1969, as a platoon leader and a forward air controller in South Vietnam. During that time, he flew in the back seat of an OV-10 aircraft.
He served two tours during the Vietnam War. He left the military in 1969 with the rank of captain and was honorably discharged. For his bravery, he was awarded the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, and two Purple Hearts.
In 1970, He bought most of the shares in an aircraft maintenance company called Ark Aviation Sales. By 1971, he changed the company’s focus to buying and selling used jets.
Then on June 18, 1971, he used $4 million from his inheritance to start Federal Express. By 1973, the company was delivering small packages and documents to 25 cities using 14 Dassault Falcon 20 jets.
In March 2022, He said he would step down as CEO of FedEx and take on the role of executive chairman. He chose Raj Subramaniam, a long-time FedEx leader, to be the new CEO.
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