Portrait of Joseph 'Pitt'  Reeves Hyde III

Rank #2103

Joseph 'Pitt' Reeves Hyde III

Net worth $2.0B

Auto Parts · United States

Born
Dec 27, 1942
Age
83
Source
Auto Parts
Residence
Memphis, Tennessee
Citizenship
United States
Marital status
Married
Children
3
Education

Net worth over time

Biography

  • Joseph 'Pitt' Reeves Hyde founded auto parts giant AutoZone in 1979.
  • He served as CEO and board chair until 1996, when he stepped down from both roles after being diagnosed with prostate cancer.
  • He sold most of his Auto­Zone stock back in the 1990s. Had he kept it, he'd be worth over $10 billion as of September 2025.
  • His charitable foundation, which he runs with his wife Barbara, has given away more than $300 million, nearly all of which has gone to a smorgasbord of local causes in his hometown of Memphis.
  • Hyde's family office acquired an undisclosed stake in Elon Musk's xAI through a special purpose vehicle in 2025. He and Barbara know Musk's brother Kimbal, who formerly ran a restaurant in the city.