https://www.linkedin.com/news/story/grady-white-boats-owner-chooses-charity-over-400m-payout-8386713/
4 days ago · Eddie Smith Jr., owner of Grady-White Boats, has decided pledge all future company profits to charity rather than sell the company for around $400 million.
https://onthewater.com/grady-whites-owner-turned-down-400-million-to-give-the-company-away-instead
3 days ago · Grady-White owner Eddie Smith rejected a $400 million sale, transferring the boat builder to a purpose trust that will send profits to charity for good.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/25/business/grady-white-boats-charity.html
5 days ago · After his sole heir died, Eddie Smith, the owner of Grady-White Boats, looked for a way to pass on his legacy. He was inspired by Patagonia to pledge future profits to charity.
https://www.nmma.org/press/article/25582
1 day ago · Grady-White Boats has announced that owner Eddie Smith is transferring control of the company to a perpetual purpose trust, an ownership model designed to preserve the company's long-standing commitment to employees, customers, dealers and the Greenville, N.C., community while directing future profits to charitable causes.
https://dnyuz.com/2026/07/25/sell-the-company-for-400-million-hes-giving-it-away-instead/
5 days ago · The company, Grady-White Boats, was in trouble. But Mr. Smith turned it around, and now the maker of high-end recreational fishing boats designed for coastal waters pulls in hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenue.
https://fortune.com/2026/07/29/eddie-smith-jr-turned-down-400-million-offer-for-grady-white-boats-instead-giving-profits-away-to-charity-inspired-by-patagonia-founder-philanthropy/
17 hours ago · Instead of selling Grady-White Boats for $400 million, Eddie Smith Jr. was inspired by Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard to donate profits to charity.
https://www.entrepreneur.com/business-news/this-83-year-old-entrepreneur-is-rejecting-a-400-million-payday-grady-white-boats
1 day ago · Eddie Smith Jr., the 83-year-old owner of Grady-White Boats, turned down a $400 million sale and instead committed the company’s future profits to charity. Smith has kept full control of the ...
https://www.gradywhite.com/perpetual-purpose-trust/
3 days ago · New Structure, Same Grady-White Smith will be gifting control and ownership of the company to the Grady-White Boats Perpetual Purpose Trust and a not-yet-named 501 (c) (4) nonprofit organization. The 501 (c) (4) plans to donate —likely tens of millions of dollars annually—to education, healthcare, conservation and the community. The purpose trust will oversee the management of the company ...
https://www.reflector.com/news/local/grady-white-boats-now-owned-by-nonprofit-majority-of-profits-will-go-to-foundation/article_1e189218-a33b-403c-9441-ffca30c67c3f.html
2 days ago · New structure, same Grady-White Smith will be gifting control and ownership of the company to the Grady-White Boats Perpetual Purpose Trust and a not-yet-named 501© (4) nonprofit organization.
https://gardenandgun.com/grady-white-owner
1 day ago · Eddie Smith Jr., owner of the lauded boat manufacturer Grady-White, made waves in the business world earlier this week with an unexpected announcement: Instead of selling the North Carolina–based company for as much as $400 million, the eighty-three-year-old has donated its profits to charity in perpetuity, the New York Times reported.
