The inspiration for FedEx came to Smith when he was a student at Yale University. He wrote a paper about overnight, reliable delivery in the digital age. His professor was not impressed and he received a C on the paper.
Smith incorporated FedEx in 1971. The company began operations in 1973.
FedEx lost money in the early years and, once, as he struggled to raise further capital for the business, he made a pitstop in Las Vegas where his winnings at the blackjack table helped keep the company afloat until it could secure further funding.
In the time since, FedEx’s operations have spanned the globe and helped reshape trade across the world. The company’s reach and impact never showed itself more than during the COVID-19 pandemic.
