Overview

• Smith died on June 21 at age 80; the cause of death has not been officially released by FedEx.
• He conceived the idea for Federal Express in a Yale term paper and launched operations in 1973, revolutionizing global logistics with the hub-and-spoke model.
• He stepped down as CEO in March 2022 and remained executive chairman until his death, with Raj Subramaniam serving as chief executive.
• Under his guidance FedEx grew into a global network of more than 500,000 employees handling roughly 16–17 million daily shipments.
• A decorated Marine Corps veteran, Smith was also a major philanthropist who supported the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.