Fred Smith, FedEx founder who revolutionised package delivery business, passes away at 80
Memphis (AP): Fred Smith, the FedEx Corp. founder who revolutionised the express delivery industry, has died, the company said. He was 80.
FedEx started operating in 1973, delivering small parcels and documents more quickly than the postal service. Over the next half-century, Smith, a Marine Corp. veteran, oversaw the growth of a company that became something of an economic bellwether because so many other companies rely on it.
Memphis, Tennessee-based FedEx became a global transportation and logistics company that averages 17 million shipments per business day. Smith stepped down as CEO in 2022 but remained executive chairman.
Smith, a 1966 graduate of Yale University, used a business theory he came up with in college to create a delivery system based on coordinated air cargo flights centred on a main hub, a "hub and spokes" system, as it became known.
The company also played a major role in the shift by American business and industry to a greater use of time-sensitive deliveries and less dependence on large inventories and warehouses.
Smith once told The Associated Press that he came up with the name Federal Express because he wanted the company to sound big and important when in fact it was a start-up operation with a future far from assured.
At the time, Smith was trying to land a major shipping contract with the Federal Reserve Bank that didn't work out.
In the beginning, Federal Express had 14 small aircraft operating out of the Memphis International Airport flying packages to 25 US cities.
Smith's father, also named Frederick, built a small fortune in Memphis with a regional bus line and other business ventures. Following college, Smith joined the US Marines and was commissioned a second lieutenant. He left the military as a captain in 1969 after two tours in Vietnam where he was decorated for bravery and wounds received in combat.
He told The Associated Press in a 2023 interview that everything he did running FedEx came from his experience in the Marines, not what he learned at Yale.
Getting Federal Express started was no easy task. Overnight shipments were new to American business and the company had to have a fleet of planes and a system of interconnecting air routes in place from the get-go.
Though one of Memphis' best-known and most prominent citizens, Smith generally avoided the public spotlight, devoting his energies to work and family.
Despite his low profile, Smith made a cameo appearance in the 2000 movie “Castaway” starring Tom Hanks. The movie was about a FedEx employee stranded on an island.
“Memphis has lost its most important citizen, Fred Smith,” said U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen of Tennessee, citing Smith's support for everything from the University of Memphis to the city's zoo. “FedEx is the engine of our economy, and Fred Smith was its visionary founder. But more than that, he was a dedicated citizen who cared deeply about our city."
Smith rarely publicized the donations he and his family made, but he agreed to speak with AP in 2023 about a gift to the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation to endow a new scholarship fund for the children of Navy service members pursuing studies in STEM.
“The thing that's interested me are the institutions and the causes not the naming or the recognition,” Smith said at the time.
Asked what it means to contribute to the public good, he replied:
“America is the most generous country in the world. It's amazing the charitable contributions that Americans make every year. Everything from the smallest things to these massive health care initiatives and the Gates Foundation and everything in between,” he said.
“I think if you've done well in this country, it's pretty churlish for you not to at least be willing to give a pretty good portion of that back to the public interest. And all this is in the great tradition of American philanthropy.”
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Messi mania grips Kolkata as thousands welcome Argentine icon at 2.26 am
Kolkata (PTI): Thousands braved the December chill and waited past midnight to give a rousing welcome to Argentine superstar footballer Lionel Messi as he arrived in Kolkata for his whirlwind three-day, four-city GOAT India Tour 2025.
The Barcelona legend's 2.26 am touchdown in the early hours of Saturday sent the city into a frenzy. Gate 4 of the international arrivals turned into a roaring sea of chants, flags and flashing phones, with fans sprinting between gates for even a fleeting glimpse of their favourite star.
Children perched on shoulders and drums rolled as Messi was whisked out through the VIP gate under massive security. A heavy convoy then escorted him to his hotel, where another huge crowd was waiting deep into the night.
Barricades, police deployment, and non-stop cheering completed a citywide eruption of "Messi mania."
Messi arrived with long-time strike partner Luis Suárez and Argentina teammate Rodrigo De Paul. Over the next 72 hours, he will zip across Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi, meeting chief ministers, corporate leaders, Bollywood celebrities and eventually Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday.
Sleepless wait ends in disappointment
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Despite keeping vigil through the night, the wait ended in disappointment for many fans as they could not catch a glimpse of their icon.
Heavy security meant Messi was whisked out of the airport and taken to his hotel around 3.30 am through a back entrance, giving hundreds of waiting supporters a complete miss.
Only a handful of lucky airport staff managed a fleeting glimpse of the Argentine superstar as he stepped off the private Gulfstream V, looking dapper in a black suit over a white T-shirt, before being driven straight off the tarmac.
The Hyatt Regency lobby turned chaotic as fans sprinted across corridors shouting "Messi! Messi!" that echoed well past dawn.
The lobby resembled an Argentine fan club, dotted with sky-blue jerseys, scarves and flags. Breast-feeding infants clung to mothers, children raced around, and exhausted supporters sank into lobby sofas as the frenzy built up.
Messi checked into Room 730, with the entire seventh floor sealed off to ensure no movement around his suite.
With security at its peak, some fans who could afford it booked rooms in the hotel to stay as close to Messi as possible.
A family from New Alipore checked in a day early just so that their son, Krish Gupta, a Cristiano Ronaldo fan, would not miss a Messi moment.
"I'm a die-hard Ronaldo fan, so what? His biggest rival is coming to my city and I cannot miss the moment. So we planned to stay in the hotel a day in advance," said Krish, a Class 9 student of Birla High School.
He roamed the coffee shop with his mother and elder sister, anxious for a peek at the icon.
"I just want to tell him to play football with me. And if I'm not successful, I will go to the gym tomorrow morning to catch a glimpse of him. I have my autograph book ready and hopefully I will get a selfie."
High hopes
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Satadru Dutta, the sole promoter of the tour who received Messi at the airport, said the moment was historic for Kolkata.
"In 2011, he had come after becoming the captain, but now he is coming after winning the World Cup and his eighth Ballon d'Or. So, this is really special. I don't think he will come again, so it's about celebration," Dutta told reporters.
He said Messi's presence could give Indian football a real push.
"Never ever have so many sponsors come together for a football star. You can say this is for Messi, but even if 10 per cent of that money comes to the development of Indian football, it would be very big. This statue that has come up and will be unveiled in the morning is also the first-of-its-kind in the world. Messi is set to leave a legacy behind this time," he added.
Security was tightened across the city ahead of Messi's GOAT India Tour, with policemen at every crossing, sniffer dogs checking vehicles and heightened surveillance around the hotel.
Staff were busy preparing the themed decor, including two large three-layered fondant cakes in Christmas colours.
Outside the airport and later near the hotel, massive crowds braved the winter chill to welcome Messi.
Fans waved Argentina flags and jerseys, screamed his name and broke into chants as emotions ran high, some clapping, some crying, many overwhelmed at witnessing a once-in-a-generation legend in their city.
The Hyatt Regency became the epicentre of the frenzy, with street vendors selling scarves, flags and Messi No 10 jerseys.
A few fans turned up in wigs and full Argentine colours. "This is a lifetime opportunity. We will not sleep tonight and will head straight to the stadium in the morning. Today is celebration day," said one fan.
The Itinerary
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Messi begins his GOAT India Tour on Saturday with a sponsors' meet-and-greet before heading to the Salt Lake Stadium for a tribute programme featuring music, dance and an exhibition match between Mohun Bagan 'Messi' All Stars and Diamond Harbour 'Messi' All Stars.
He is scheduled to arrive at 10.50 am for interactions with both teams, a felicitation of Bengal's Santosh Trophy-winning side and a "Master Class with Messi" for kids. Luis Suárez, Rodrigo De Paul and Shah Rukh Khan will join the proceedings, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and other dignitaries invited.
Messi will take a lap of honour before a virtual unveiling of his 70-foot statue at Lake Town.
He will then depart for Hyderabad at 2.05 pm for the evening leg at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, featuring a short exhibition match, a five-minute appearance by Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, a football clinic and felicitation.
He then heads to Mumbai for his event at the Wankhede. The leg will also feature a 45-minute philanthropic fashion event with Suárez and De Paul, preceded by a Padel Cup at the CCI.
The tour ends in Delhi where Messi will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Minerva Academy's triple youth-trophy winners will be felicitated, followed by a nine-a-side celebrity match.
Kolkata's tryst with footballers
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Kolkata's bond with football royalty dates back to 1977 when Pele's New York Cosmos played a 2-2 draw against Mohun Bagan at Eden Gardens.
Pele returned in 2015 to greet the class of '77, telling the crowd: "You can never have another Pele."
Brazil's Dunga, Bebeto and Mauro Silva, and Colombia's René Higuita who showcased his scorpion-kick saves in 2012 all drew big turnouts. German great Oliver Kahn's 2008 farewell match at Salt Lake Stadium pulled more than one lakh spectators.
But no one stirred the city like Diego Maradona, whose 2008 and 2017 visits saw near-unprecedented crowds line the streets and stadiums. Uruguay's Diego Forlán, fresh from his Golden Ball win, received a similarly rousing welcome in 2010.
Then in 2011, Messi had visited the city captaining Argentina for the first time on foreign soil, leading them to a 1-0 win over Venezuela in an FIFA international friendly before a packed Salt Lake Stadium.
