When Forbes released its 2026 ranking of America's 400 wealthiest people, two familiar Texas names were once again among them: H-E-B Chairman Charles Butt and his sister, Eleanor Butt Crook.

Charles Butt, 88, ranks No. 137 with an estimated fortune of $11.3 billion, while Butt Crook, 94, ranks No. 367 at approximately $4.7 billion. Together, their estimated wealth approaches $16 billion. Forbes reports that the 400 richest Americans collectively hold a record $8 trillion, with $4.4 billion required to make the 2026 list.

Those are breathtaking numbers. But here in Texas - and certainly at Houston Style Magazine - the H-E-B story has never been only about numbers.

For 26 years, H-E-B has been a valued stakeholder in the Houston Style Magazine journey, including its longstanding role as a treasured back-page advertiser. That back page represents more than premium newspaper real estate. After more than a quarter-century, it feels more like a handshake printed in ink - a relationship between two Texas institutions committed to serving communities, families and generations of readers and shoppers.

For that confidence, consistency and longevity, Houston Style Magazine is most humbly appreciative.

H-E-B's story began far from any billionaires list. In 1905, Florence Butt - grandmother of Charles Butt and Eleanor Butt Crook - opened a small grocery store in Kerrville, Texas, after her husband became ill and could no longer work. Charles later started in the family business as a youngster, bagging groceries, before becoming Chairman and CEO in 1971. The family enterprise grew from one small store into one of the largest privately held retailers in the United States.

 Eleanor Butt Crook-HEB Billionaire Sister

Today, H-E-B says it operates more than 455 stores in Texas and Mexico, employs more than 175,000 Partners and generates annual sales exceeding $50 billion. The company also says it contributes five percent of annual pre-tax earnings to charitable organizations supporting education, hunger relief, health, military families and other community needs.

That community-first philosophy has repeatedly shown itself in Houston and across Texas, from disaster response and food assistance to education initiatives. Charles Butt's commitment to public education includes founding The Holdsworth Center in 2017, an organization focused on strengthening leadership in Texas public schools. H-E-B's Excellence in Education Awards have also invested millions of dollars in educators and schools across the state.

For a publication that has spent decades encouraging informed communities and participation in civic life, that commitment matters. Healthy democracy is sustained not simply at the ballot box, but through educated citizens, strong neighborhoods, thriving local institutions and businesses willing to invest in the places they call home.

H-E-B also created an employee stock-ownership program in 2015, extending company ownership to tens of thousands of eligible Partners. That decision placed a piece of the company's success into the hands of the people stocking shelves, serving customers and helping keep one of Texas' best-known brands moving forward.

And that may explain why conversations about H-E-B so often sound different from conversations about other corporations. Former Partners frequently speak about benefits, opportunities and assistance that happen far away from cameras and headlines. Texans have likewise watched those familiar red letters appear when communities face hurricanes, floods, hunger or other emergencies.

So yes, Charles Butt and Eleanor Butt Crook are billionaires. But Houston Style Magazine celebrates this milestone through a different lens: a Texas family enterprise that began humbly, survived generations of change, grew into a powerhouse and still recognizes that a company's footprint is measured not only by stores and sales, but by the communities standing around them.

After 26 years of partnership, we simply say: Thank you, H-E-B. The back page has always meant much more than the back page.

 

HEB Stores | Forbes 400 | The Holdsworth Center