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Portrait of Butch Meily
Author spotlight

Butch Meily

Author of From Manila to Wall Street: An Immigrant's Journey With America's First Black Tycoon

Butch is the author of an upcoming memoir, From Manila to Wall Street – An Immigrant’s Journey With America’s First Black Tycoon. He has written articles for Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, New York Daily News, Baltimore Sun, Black Enterprise magazine and the Philippine Star newspaper. He has done two book tours promoting his former boss’s biography, Why Should White Guys Have All The Fun?

Butch’s current job is President of the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF), a private sector disaster management organization that includes the major business groups in the country. He helped found PDRF, turning it into a global role model for private sector involvement in calamities. The organization operates the world’s first national private sector Emergency Operations Center. Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT), his parent company, received the 2016 Prince of Wales Business in Community UPS International Disaster Relief Prize for its work in organizing PDRF after Typhoon Ketsana in 2009 and mobilizing it during Super Typhoon Haiyan in 2013.

Butch has worked in conflict situations in the southern Philippines including a terrorist siege in 2013 and an ISIS-inspired rebellion in 2017.

Butch wears several hats. He heads IdeaSpace Foundation, a technology accelerator for early-stage startups, and QBO Innovation Hub, a public private partnership launched to mentor startups. Until December 2020, he served as president of Pacific Global One, an aviation firm affiliated with PLDT.

Previously, Butch was First Vice President and Special Assistant to the chairman of PLDT and president of PLDT Smart Foundation. Prior to joining PLDT, he served as Vice President, Communications for TLC Beatrice International, a food company in New York and Paris and the main subject of his book. He has worked with several New York public relations firms and a financial startup there.

Butch graduated from the Ateneo de Manila University and earned an MA in Journalism and Communications from the University of Florida (UF), becoming the first honors graduate of the program. He returned to UF as a Freedom Forum Distinguished Professor and received a Distinguished Alumnus award and was named to the school’s Hall of Fame. He started but did not finish his MBA at Northwestern University. He has taken writing classes at Grub Street and at New York University’s Continuing Education Program, a long time ago.

In 1997, he established a permanent scholarship in his father Joe Meily’s name, at the Ateneo. That same year, he made a small donation to the College of Journalism and Communications at the University of Florida.

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The book
Cover of From Manila to Wall Street: An Immigrant's Journey With America's First Black TycoonFrom Manila to Wall Street: An Immigrant's Journey With America's First Black TycoonBusinessPersonal DevelopmentBiographyFrom Butch Meily, trusted public relations strategist to Reginald Lewis, the history-making African American dealmaker, comes an eye-opening business narrative. From Manila to Wall Street tells two stories: the first includes daring corporate takeovers, an exorbitant global lifestyle, and the fatal brain tumor that claimed Lewis’s life at age 50. Lewis struggled to reach the top, only to see his attempt to become the first African American-controlled company listed on the New York Stock Exchange fail and his Hamptons mansion burn to the ground. The second story is that of a young Filipino immigrant at Lewis’s side. Meily reaches the highest tier of corporate public relations in New York, making a million dollars in one year. Yet, after his wife leaves him, Meily discovers that power, glory, and riches can bring loneliness and isolation. He began his relationship with Lewis as an employee and became his closest adviser and first-hand witness to the tormented, solitary man behind the image of a wildly successful takeover king. “Butch Meily is the quintessential Bud Fox of the movie Wall Street, a brilliant and ambitious participant in the high-stakes game of the 1980s. In the process, he lost perspective of what really matters in his life. He finds redemption in serving his people hit by disasters. And so, his story continues.” —Loida Nicolas Lewis, chairman of The Reginald F. Lewis Foundation and former CEO of TLC Beatrice International “Butch Meily’s engaging new book, From Manila to Wall Street is a ... lifearama, beating any MBA curriculum in learning to be a greater-than-better, visionary, trailblazing business head—also how to communicate about it. Gravitas and style can’t be beat. The Reginald Lewis story beats that of almost any entrepreneur any place, anywhere.” —Ken Fisher, founder, executive chairman and co-chief investment officer of Fisher Investments. “I worked with Butch Meily and he has captured a moment in time in this thrilling and humorous memoir★★★★★ 5.0 on the Hive5 reviewsOpen the book
Reviews

Latest from readers

On From Manila to Wall Street: An Immigrant's Journey With America's First Black Tycoon

★★★★★

Butch Meily delivers a compelling memoir

“In From Manila to Wall Street, Butch Meily delivers a compelling memoir that intertwines his personal immigrant journey with the remarkable story of business pioneer Reginald Lewis. The book provides an insider’s perspective on the demanding world of Wall Street while highlighting Lewis’s groundbreaking achievement as the first Black American to build a billion-dollar global company. Meily’s narrative captures the determination and resilience required to navigate both cultural and professional challenges in a highly competitive environment. At the same time, the memoir offers a thoughtful portrayal of Lewis as a visionary leader who broke racial barriers and reshaped expectations in corporate America. Beyond its business insights, the book reflects on the personal costs of ambition, revealing how success in high-stakes industries can impact relationships and personal well being. Through honest reflection and vivid storytelling, Meily presents a balanced account of achievement, sacrifice, and mentorship. Overall, From Manila to Wall Street is an insightful and inspiring memoir that explores ambition, leadership, and the immigrant pursuit of opportunity. It is a meaningful read for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, business leadership, and stories of perseverance.”
GoodreadsJackson Kinross · Goodreads
Verified ✓

On From Manila to Wall Street: An Immigrant's Journey With America's First Black Tycoon

★★★★★

From Manila to Wall Street is more than just a business memoir.

“From Manila to Wall Street: An Immigrant's Journey With America's First Black Tycoon by Butch Meily is a compelling memoir that blends business history, personal reflection, and the immigrant experience. The book follows Meily’s journey from the Philippines to the center of American finance, while also telling the story of his mentor and employer, Reginald Lewis one of the most influential Black entrepreneurs in American history. Lewis became the first African American to build and lead a billion-dollar global company, breaking racial barriers in corporate America. One of the book’s strengths is its dual narrative structure. On one hand, it explores the rise of Reginald Lewis, whose bold corporate takeovers and leadership in the 1980s business world made him a powerful figure on Wall Street. On the other hand, it chronicles Meily’s personal journey as a Filipino immigrant trying to succeed in a highly competitive and often discriminatory corporate environment. The memoir provides an insider’s look at the intense world of high stakes finance complete with private jets, corporate negotiations, and billion dollar deals. However, the book goes beyond business success. Meily also reveals the emotional costs of ambition. As he achieves wealth and professional recognition, he faces personal struggles, including loneliness and the breakdown of his marriage, highlighting the sacrifices that often accompany success. Another powerful aspect of the book is its exploration of race, ambition, and resilience. Both Lewis and Meily had to navigate systems where minorities were underrepresented in positions of power. Through their partnership, the book illustrates how determination, talent, and strategic thinking can break barriers in traditionally exclusive industries. Overall, From Manila to Wall Street is more than just a business memoir. It is a story about friendship, ambition, and the search for meaning beyond wealth and status. Meily’s honest reflections make the book both inspiring and cautionary, reminding readers that success in the corporate world often comes with difficult personal choices. For readers interested in entrepreneurship, leadership, or immigrant success stories, this book offers valuable lessons and an engaging narrative.”
GoodreadsLonda V · Goodreads
Verified ✓

On From Manila to Wall Street: An Immigrant's Journey With America's First Black Tycoon

★★★★★

This book reads like a real-life rollercoaster, glamour, chaos, million-dollar deals

“and some seriously emotional whiplash. From Manila to Wall Street is Butch Meily’s inside look at life alongside Reginald Lewis, a billionaire businessman who made history and headlines. High-stakes boardroom drama mixed with personal heartbreak. Reginald Lewis was bold, brilliant, and ruthless, but also deeply human. Butch, a young Filipino immigrant, starts out working for him and ends up being his closest adviser. Together, they take on Wall Street. But success comes at a cost, and this book doesn’t shy away from showing it, burnt-out relationships, long lonely nights, and the kind of pressure that money can’t fix. Butch’s own journey is just as fascinating. From making a million bucks in a year to realizing he’s lost the things that matter most, it’s raw and real. His voice is honest, witty, and super relatable, even if you’ve never stepped foot in a boardroom. It’s not just a business memoir, it’s a reminder that chasing power without pause can leave you empty. The drama is juicy, the lessons are deep, and the storytelling? Chef’s kiss.”
GoodreadsSneha · Goodreads
Verified ✓

Read all 5 reviews of From Manila to Wall Street: An Immigrant's Journey With America's First Black Tycoon

Press

In the press

Press coverage of Butch Meily · The Literary Hive

Dec 25, 2025
Jul 11, 2025
Jun 12, 2025