# Byron Trott

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{{short description|American merchant banker}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Byron Trott
| image              = Byron Trott BDT & MSD.jpg
| image_size         = 
| caption            = Byron Trott
| birth_name         = 
| birth_date         = {{birth date and age|1958|12|2}}
| birth_place        = [Springfield, Missouri](/source/Springfield%2C_Missouri), United States
| alma_mater         = {{nowrap|[University of Chicago](/source/University_of_Chicago) <small>([AB](/source/Bachelor_of_Arts), [MBA](/source/Master_of_Business_Administration))</small>}}
| employer           = 
| networth           = 
| title              = Chairman and co-CEO of [BDT & MSD Partners](/source/BDT_%26_MSD_Partners)
| spouse             = Tina Trott
}}

'''Byron David Trott''' (born December 2, 1958) is the founder, chairman and co-CEO of [BDT & MSD Partners](/source/BDT_%26_MSD_Partners), a [merchant bank](/source/merchant_bank) that provides advice and capital to family and founder-led companies. Formerly, Trott was [vice chairman](/source/vice_chairman) of Investment Banking at [Goldman Sachs](/source/Goldman_Sachs).

== Early life and education ==
Raised in [Union, Missouri](/source/Union%2C_Missouri), Trott received an AB from the [University of Chicago](/source/University_of_Chicago) in 1981, and an [MBA](/source/MBA) from the University of Chicago [Booth School of Business](/source/Booth_School_of_Business) in 1982.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/trott-on-the-march-is-he-buffetts-chosen-successor-1658994.html | location=London | work=The Independent | first=Stephen | last=Foley | title=Trott on the march: is he Buffett's chosen successor? | date=2009-04-01}}</ref> As an undergraduate, he played on the varsity [baseball](/source/Chicago_Maroons) and [football](/source/Chicago_Maroons_football) teams, and joined the Chi Upsilon chapter of [Phi Gamma Delta](/source/Phi_Gamma_Delta).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://campaign.uchicago.edu/donor-recognition/spotlight/tina-and-byron-trott-house/|title=Tina and Byron Trott House &#124; The University of Chicago Campaign: Inquiry and Impact|website=campaign.uchicago.edu|accessdate=September 22, 2019}}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Trott was the 1981 recipient of the [Amos Alonzo Stagg](/source/Amos_Alonzo_Stagg) Medal, an award presented to the senior male student-athlete at the University of Chicago with the best overall record for academics, athletics and character.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://athletics.uchicago.edu/about/history/stagg-medal|title=Amos Alonzo Stagg Medal Winners|website=The University of Chicago Athletics|accessdate=September 22, 2019}}</ref>

== Professional career ==
In 1982, Trott joined [Goldman Sachs](/source/Goldman_Sachs) as a [stockbroker](/source/stockbroker), joining Goldman's [investment banking](/source/investment_banking) division in 1988 and working under future U.S. Treasury Secretary [Henry Paulson](/source/Henry_Paulson).<ref name=deal>{{cite news| url=http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/07/when-this-banker-talks-even-buffett-listens/ | work=The New York Times | title=When This Banker Talks, Even Buffett Listens | date=2008-10-07}}</ref>  He eventually rose to become vice chairman of investment banking at Goldman Sachs.<ref name=deal/> He advised many of the wealthiest families and closely held companies in deals ranging from the $23 billion Mars-Wrigley combination, the [Pritzker](/source/Pritzker_family)s’ $4.5 billion sale of [Marmon Holdings](/source/Marmon_Holdings) to [Berkshire Hathaway](/source/Berkshire_Hathaway), and the $5 billion capital infusion from Berkshire Hathaway into Goldman Sachs in September 2008 during the financial crisis.<ref>{{cite news|last=Berman|first=Dennis K.|title=The Midwest Medicis' Favorite Financier|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704281504576327712421073094|newspaper=The Wall Street Journal|date=2011-05-16}}</ref>

Trott left Goldman Sachs in early 2009 to open his own firm,<ref name="WSJ12">{{cite news |last=Moore |first=Heidi |date=30 March 2009 |title=Byron Trott to Leave Goldman Sachs. Warren Buffett Signs On |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-DLB-7636 |publisher=Wall Street Journal}}</ref> Chicago-based merchant bank BDT & Company.<ref name="BusinessInsider12">{{cite news |last=Rapier |first=Graham |date=October 20, 2022 |title=Meet the billionaire businessman behind Michael Dell's new investment and advisory firm, also known as Warren Buffett's favorite banker |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/byron-trott-warren-buffett-banker-merges-bdt-with-michael-dell-2022-10#bdt-and-company-served-as-financial-adviser-for-jab-holdings-keurig-green-mountain-on-its-deal-to-buy-dr-pepper-snapple-group-for-a-cool-187-billion-in-cash-alongside-the-lead-adviser-goldman-sachs-23 |website=Business Insider}}</ref> BDT & Co.’s affiliate, BDT Capital Partners, managed more than $33 billion across its investment funds from its global limited partner investor base.<ref name="WSJ22">{{cite news |last=Gottfried |first=Miriam |date=October 20, 2022 |title=BDT to Merge With MSD Partners, Form New Investment and Advisory Firm |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/bdt-to-merge-with-msd-partners-form-new-investment-and-advisory-firm-11666265401 |publisher=Wall Street Journal}}</ref>

In 2023, BDT & Company merged with MSD Partners, run by [Gregg Lemkau](/source/Gregg_Lemkau). Trott and Lemkau had previously worked together at Goldman Sachs. Together, they formed BDT & MSD Partners, an investment and advisory firm. Trott and Lemkau serve as co-CEOs of BDT & MSD.<ref name="BusinessInsider22">{{cite news |last=Cuccinello |first=Hayley |title=How Gregg Lemkau went from Goldman CEO contender to building a hybrid investment bank catering to billionaires |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/gregg-lemkau-michael-dell-msd-partners-goldman-sachs-trott-bdt-2022-10 |publisher=Business Insider}}</ref><ref name="WSJ22" />

Trott is a director of Cox Enterprises,<ref name="ChicagoBusiness">{{cite news |last=Kapos |first=Shia |date=April 21, 2015 |title=Byron Trott joins Cox Enterprises board |url=https://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20150421/BLOGS03/150429950/chicago-ceo-byron-trott-joins-cox-enterprises-board |publisher=Crain's Chicago Business}}</ref> Enterprise Holdings, Inc.,<ref name="Forbes1">{{cite news |last=Durot |first=Matt |date=May 22, 2024 |title=Why Enterprise Is One Of The World's Best Private Companies |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattdurot/2024/05/22/why-enterprise-is-one-of-the-worlds-best-private-companies/ |work=Forbes}}</ref> IMA Group and Sunrise Group Holdings, LLC (“Whataburger”).<ref name="Bloomberg">{{cite news |title=Byron David Trott |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/person/4289837 |publisher=Bloomberg}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
Trott is a trustee of the [University of Chicago](/source/University_of_Chicago), founded the Jeff Metcalf Internship Program and helped to launch the Trott Business Program, which provides undergraduate UChicago students with practical work experience and mentoring.<ref>{{cite news|title= $10 million gift supports newly named Trott Business Program|author= Sarah Manhardt|url= https://news.uchicago.edu/article/2016/11/15/10-million-gift-supports-newly-named-trott-business-program|date=November 15, 2016|work=UChicagoNews}}</ref> Trott is a director of [Conservation International](/source/Conservation_International), and in 2011 was inducted into the [Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans](/source/Horatio_Alger_Association_of_Distinguished_Americans) and is now president of the Association.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.horatioalger.org/member_info.cfm?memberid=TRO11| title=Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans| archive-date=2013-04-15| access-date=2012-08-25| archive-url=https://archive.today/20130415012320/http://www.horatioalger.org/member_info.cfm?memberid=TRO11| url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2018, Brian and Tina Trott founded the rootEd Alliance, which places college and career counselors in high schools in rural America.<ref name="Time">{{cite news |last=Block |first=Sandra |date=May 20, 2025 |title=Byron Trott and Tina Trott |url=https://time.com/collections/time100-philanthropy-2025/7286051/byron-trott-tina-trott/ |publisher=Time}}</ref> They signed [The Giving Pledge](/source/The_Giving_Pledge) in 2021.<ref name="Candid">{{cite news |date=February 23, 2021 |title=Three couples sign on to Giving Pledge |url=https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/three-couples-sign-on-to-giving-pledge |publisher=Candid.}}</ref> 

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category-inline}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Trott, Byron}}
Category:Living people
Category:1958 births
Category:21st-century American businesspeople
Category:American chief executives
Category:American financial company founders
Category:American investment bankers
Category:American stockbrokers
Category:Berkshire Hathaway
Category:Businesspeople from Chicago
Category:Businesspeople from Missouri
Category:Goldman Sachs people
Category:People from Union, Missouri
Category:People from Winnetka, Illinois
Category:Private equity and venture capital investors
Category:University of Chicago alumni
Category:University of Chicago Booth School of Business alumni
Category:University of Chicago trustees

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Byron Trott](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byron_Trott) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byron_Trott?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.