{{short description|American heir and billionaire|bot=PearBOT 5}} {{for-multi|the American swimming coach|Charles Butt (swim coach)|the Australian businessman|Charles Sinclair Butt|the English judge and politician|Charles Parker Butt}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2017}} {{Infobox person | name = Charles Butt | birth_name = Charles Clarence Butt | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1938|2|3}} | education = University of Pennsylvania<br> Harvard University | occupation = | title = Chairman and CEO, H-E-B | term = 1971– | parents = Howard Edward Butt Sr.<br> Mary Elizabeth Holdsworth }}
'''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''.<ref name="hebrevenue">{{Cite web|title=H-E-B|url=https://www.forbes.com/companies/h-e-b/|access-date=2021-05-26|website=Forbes|language=en}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Aguirre |first=Priscilla |date=April 2, 2025 |title=H-E-B's Charles Butt, Elon Musk among Texans on Forbes billionaire list |url=https://www.mysanantonio.com/business/article/texas-billionaire-list-elon-musk-charles-butt-20254527.php |access-date=July 4, 2025 |website=My San Antonio}}</ref>
==Early life== 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.<ref name=Forbes>{{cite web|title=Forbes profile: Charles Butt|url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/charles-butt/ |website=Forbes |accessdate=November 29, 2019}}</ref>
Butt graduated from University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School with a bachelor's degree.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Butt |url=https://www.tshmf.org/butt.html |access-date=2025-07-04 |website=TEXAS STATE HISTORY MUSEUM FOUNDATION |language=en}}</ref> He earned an MBA from Harvard Business School.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.expressnews.com/business/local/article/H-E-B-s-Charles-Butt-family-ties-with-8332472.php|title=H-E-B's Charles Butt family ties with Rockefellers on Forbes rich list|work=San Antonio Express-News|access-date=2018-01-23}}</ref>
==Career== Butt became chairman, CEO, and president of the H-E-B Grocery Company in 1971.<ref name="HEB-HISTORY">"[http://www.heb.com/aboutHEB/history.jsp H-E-B Official Website - History] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100329230358/http://www.heb.com/aboutHEB/history.jsp |date=March 29, 2010 }}" HEB.com. Retrieved on April 23, 2010.</ref><ref name=Forbes/><ref>{{Cite web |last=Underwood |first=Paul L. |date=7 September 2025 |title=What Charles Butt's Art Collection Reveals About the Elusive Man Behind H-E-B |url=https://www.texasmonthly.com/arts-entertainment/charles-butt-h-e-b-art-collection-american-modern/ |access-date=16 December 2025 |website=Texas Monthly}}</ref>
In late 2019, Butt and his family had a net worth of over US$10 billion, according to ''Forbes''.<ref name=Forbes/>
==Awards and recognition== In November 2001, the Mexican government awarded Butt the Aguila Azteca medal for his philanthropic involvement and business dealings in Mexico.<ref name="OAE">{{cite news |date=November 14, 2001 |title=Charles Butt to receive honor from Mexican government |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/stories/2001/11/12/daily19.html |accessdate=December 17, 2006 |newspaper=San Antonio Business Journal}}</ref>
In 2013, AdvisoryCloud ranked Butt as the No. 5 CEO on its Top Chief Executive List.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.advisorycloud.com/rankings/2013-top-private-company-ceos/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190423203832/https://www.advisorycloud.com/rankings/2013-top-private-company-ceos/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=2019-04-23 |title=2013 Top Private CEOs |date=2019-04-23 |access-date=2020-04-18}}</ref>
==Philanthropy== Butt pledged $50 million to the Raising Texas Teachers scholarship fund to support the training of Texas public school teachers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2017/07/11/heb-boss-charles-butt-gives-50-million-to-train.html|title=HEB boss Charles Butt gives $50 million to train Texas teachers|website=www.bizjournals.com|access-date=2018-01-23}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Charles Butt Scholarships for Aspiring Teachers Build Strong Foundations {{!}} June 2025 {{!}} Texas Tech Now {{!}} TTU |url=https://www.ttu.edu/now/posts/2025/06/charles-butt-scholarships-for-aspiring-teachers-build-strong-foundations.php |access-date=2025-12-17 |website=www.ttu.edu}}</ref>
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).<ref>{{Cite web|last=Pollock|first=Cassandra|date=2017-01-17|title=H-E-B CEO Charles Butt pledges $100 million to public schools nonprofit|url=https://www.texastribune.org/2017/01/17/leadership-institute-aimed-supporting-texas-public/|access-date=2021-03-24|website=The Texas Tribune|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=About|url=https://holdsworthcenter.org/about-us/|access-date=2021-04-23|website=The Holdsworth Center|language=en-US}}</ref>
In September 2017, Butt donated $5 million to J. J. Watt's Houston Hurricane Harvey relief fund.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2017/09/06/texas-supermarket-chain-heb-donates-5-million-j-j-watts-hurricane-relief-fund/637814001/|title=Texas supermarket chain HEB donates $5 million to J.J. Watt's hurricane relief fund|author=|date=|website=usatoday.com|accessdate=September 6, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ksat.com/news/h-e-b-ceo-donates-massive-sum-to-jj-watts-houston-flood-relief-fund|title=H-E-B CEO donates $5 million to J.J. Watt's Houston Flood Relief Fund|first=Mary Claire|last=Patton|date=September 6, 2017|website=ksat.com|accessdate=September 6, 2017}}</ref>
In May 2018, Butt pledges to The Giving Pledge and writes in his release that he intends to help children and teachers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://givingpledge.org/Pledger.aspx?id=354|title=Charles Butt|website=Giving Pledge|access-date=2019-01-15}}</ref>
In June 2022, the Butt family and H-E-B donated $10 million to help build a new elementary school in Uvalde, Texas after the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School.<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 28, 2022 |title=The Butt family and H-E-B lead the way with $10 million donation to help build new elementary campus in Uvalde |url=https://newsroom.heb.com/the-butt-family-and-h-e-b-lead-the-way-with-10-million-donation-to-help-build-new-elementary-campus-in-uvalde/ |url-status=live |access-date=2025-11-11 |website=newsroom.heb.com}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://newsroom.heb.com/charles-butt-and-h-e-b-commit-1-million-to-support-recovery-efforts-as-wildfires-rage-in-texas-panhandle/|title= Charles Butt and H-E-B commit $1 million to support recovery efforts as wildfires rage in Texas Panhandle}}</ref>
==Personal life== In 2024, Butt donated about 75 pieces from his personal art collection to museums in Texas.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Guzmán |first=Andrea |title=H-E-B's Charles Butt is taking his art collection on a Texas tour |url=https://www.chron.com/culture/arts/article/charles-butt-art-collection-19873980.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250608041439/https://www.chron.com/culture/arts/article/charles-butt-art-collection-19873980.php |archive-date=2025-06-08 |access-date=2025-07-11 |work=Chron |language=en}}</ref>
Butt frequently donates to political campaigns, primarily those of Republicans but has donated to various Democratic campaigns as well.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=A 501tax-exempt |last2=Street |first2=charitable organization 1100 13th |last3=NW |last4=Washington |first4=Suite 800 |last5=Dc 20005857-0044 |title=Donor Lookup |url=https://www.opensecrets.org/donor-lookup/results?name=Charles+Butt&order=desc&sort=A |access-date=2023-04-26 |website=OpenSecrets |language=en}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Butt, Charles}} Category:1938 births Category:20th-century American businesspeople Category:21st-century American philanthropists Category:American billionaires Category:American chief executives in the food industry Category:American grocers Charles Category:Harvard Business School alumni Category:Living people Category:Wharton School alumni