Byron Trott
American merchant banker
title: "Byron Trott" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["living-people", "1958-births", "21st-century-american-businesspeople", "american-chief-executives", "american-financial-company-founders", "american-investment-bankers", "american-stockbrokers", "berkshire-hathaway", "businesspeople-from-chicago", "businesspeople-from-missouri", "goldman-sachs-people", "people-from-union,-missouri", "people-from-winnetka,-illinois", "private-equity-and-venture-capital-investors", "university-of-chicago-alumni", "university-of-chicago-booth-school-of-business-alumni", "university-of-chicago-trustees"] description: "American merchant banker" topic_path: "economics" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byron_Trott" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary American merchant banker ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox person"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Byron Trott |
| birth_date | |
| birth_place | Springfield, Missouri, United States |
| alma_mater | University of Chicago (AB, MBA) |
| title | Chairman and co-CEO of BDT & MSD Partners |
| spouse | Tina Trott |
| :: |
| name = Byron Trott | image = | image_size = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = | birth_place = Springfield, Missouri, United States | alma_mater = University of Chicago (AB, MBA) | employer = | networth = | title = Chairman and co-CEO of BDT & MSD Partners | spouse = Tina Trott
Byron David Trott (born December 2, 1958) is the founder, chairman and co-CEO of BDT & MSD Partners, a merchant bank that provides advice and capital to family and founder-led companies. Formerly, Trott was vice chairman of Investment Banking at Goldman Sachs.
Early life and education
Raised in Union, Missouri, Trott received an AB from the University of Chicago in 1981, and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business in 1982. As an undergraduate, he played on the varsity baseball and football teams, and joined the Chi Upsilon chapter of Phi Gamma Delta. Trott was the 1981 recipient of the 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.
Professional career
In 1982, Trott joined Goldman Sachs as a stockbroker, joining Goldman's investment banking division in 1988 and working under future U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. He eventually rose to become vice chairman of investment banking at Goldman Sachs.
Trott left Goldman Sachs in early 2009 to open his own firm, Chicago-based merchant bank BDT & Company. BDT & Co.’s affiliate, BDT Capital Partners, managed more than $33 billion across its investment funds from its global limited partner investor base.
In 2023, BDT & Company merged with MSD Partners, run by 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.
Trott is a director of Cox Enterprises, Enterprise Holdings, Inc., IMA Group and Sunrise Group Holdings, LLC (“Whataburger”).
Personal life
Trott is a trustee of the 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. Trott is a director of Conservation International, and in 2011 was inducted into the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans and is now president of the Association.
In 2018, Brian and Tina Trott founded the rootEd Alliance, which places college and career counselors in high schools in rural America. They signed The Giving Pledge in 2021.
References
References
- Foley, Stephen. (2009-04-01). "Trott on the march: is he Buffett's chosen successor?". The Independent.
- (August 2025). "Tina and Byron Trott House | The University of Chicago Campaign: Inquiry and Impact".
- "Amos Alonzo Stagg Medal Winners".
- (2008-10-07). "When This Banker Talks, Even Buffett Listens". The New York Times.
- Berman, Dennis K.. (2011-05-16). "The Midwest Medicis' Favorite Financier". The Wall Street Journal.
- Moore, Heidi. (30 March 2009). "Byron Trott to Leave Goldman Sachs. Warren Buffett Signs On". Wall Street Journal.
- Rapier, Graham. (October 20, 2022). "Meet the billionaire businessman behind Michael Dell's new investment and advisory firm, also known as Warren Buffett's favorite banker".
- Gottfried, Miriam. (October 20, 2022). "BDT to Merge With MSD Partners, Form New Investment and Advisory Firm". Wall Street Journal.
- Cuccinello, Hayley. "How Gregg Lemkau went from Goldman CEO contender to building a hybrid investment bank catering to billionaires". Business Insider.
- Kapos, Shia. (April 21, 2015). "Byron Trott joins Cox Enterprises board". Crain's Chicago Business.
- Durot, Matt. (May 22, 2024). "Why Enterprise Is One Of The World's Best Private Companies". Forbes.
- "Byron David Trott". Bloomberg.
- Sarah Manhardt. (November 15, 2016). "$10 million gift supports newly named Trott Business Program". UChicagoNews.
- "Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans".
- Block, Sandra. (May 20, 2025). "Byron Trott and Tina Trott". Time.
- (February 23, 2021). "Three couples sign on to Giving Pledge". Candid..
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