Born in Springfield, Missouri, in 1958, Byron David Trott is an American investment banker and the founder, Chairman, and Co-CEO of BDT & MSD Partners, a merchant bank that provides advice and capital to family and founder-led companies. His childhood was modest, growing up in the small town of Union, Missouri, where his father worked as a line repairman for Southwestern Bell Telephone Company and his mother was an entrepreneurial Avon saleswoman.

Trott's ambition and focus were evident early: he excelled in school and sports (playing varsity baseball and football at college). At age 13, he started his own business mowing lawns. He was admitted to the University of Chicago's Graduate School of Business after his junior year in college, securing both his undergraduate degree and MBA in just five years. This unique blend of small-town values, elite academic rigor, and athletic discipline defined his career path in high finance.

Byron Trott's career began at Goldman Sachs in 1982 as a stockbroker. He quickly rose through the ranks, moving into investment banking and specializing in high-level M&A advisory. He eventually became Vice Chairman of Investment Banking at Goldman Sachs, but his true reputation was forged as the 'personal banker' to Warren Buffett. Trott was famously the only investment banker whom Buffett publicly praised, stating that Trott was the best banker for his private transactions.

Leveraging this unparalleled credibility and network with founder-led companies, Trott left Goldman Sachs in 2009 to open his own merchant bank, BDT & Company (later BDT & MSD Partners). The firm specializes in providing tailored advice and capital to private, family-controlled businesses, a highly lucrative niche that traditional Wall Street banks often struggle to serve. His success secured his multi-billion dollar fortune and cemented his status as a trusted advisor to the world's wealthiest families.

Byron Trott is a committed philanthropist, channeling his efforts into education and improving opportunities in rural America. He and his wife founded the rootEd Alliance in 2018, an organization that places college and career counselors in high schools in rural communities that often lack resources, directly addressing the urban-rural education divide.

He is a trustee of the University of Chicago, where he endowed the Trott Business Program and the Jeff Metcalf Internship Program to mentor undergraduates. His commitment is to meritocracy and providing resources to talented, often overlooked, individuals, reflecting his own path from a small town to the highest levels of finance.

Byron Trott maintains the understated, trustworthy, and traditional style of a successful Midwestern banker. His attire is consistently formal and high-quality, favoring tailored suits and a classic aesthetic. His public persona is one of integrity and measured judgment, essential for a banker who serves the most private family fortunes.

His luxury is the immense security of his multi-billion dollar fortune and his reputation as Warren Buffett's sole trusted investment banker. His life is defined by his commitment to his midwestern roots, his deep engagement with the University of Chicago, and his dedication to structural philanthropy in rural America.