Joseph 'Pitt' Reeves Hyde III

About Me

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.