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Frederick W. Smith, the founder of FedEx and a pioneer in the global delivery industry, has died at the age of 80.

His death was confirmed by FedEx CEO Raj Subramaniam in a memo to employees posted on the company's website.

Back in 1971, Frederick Smith had a big idea—to create a service that could deliver important packages overnight. It was a simple concept, but no one had done it before. Just two years later, in 1973, he turned that idea into reality.

According to Reuters, Federal Express launched from Memphis, Tennessee, with a modest team of 389 employees and 14 small aircraft, successfully delivering 186 packages to 25 cities across the country on its first night.

That first night marked the beginning of something extraordinary and that first night changed everything.

"Fred was more than just the pioneer of an industry and the founder of our great company," Subramaniam wrote. "He was a mentor to many and a source of inspiration to all."

Fred Smith, born in 1944 in Marks, Mississippi, served as a U.S. Marine in Vietnam before going on to launch the company that would revolutionize the way the world ships packages—FedEx.

While studying at Yale University, he wrote a college paper that proposed his idea for overnight package delivery.

It received an average grade, but it laid the groundwork for a business that would grow into a $90 billion global force.

FedEx Founder Remembered as Global Shipping Pioneer

FedEx has grown tremendously since its very first night of making deliveries. Today, the company runs a massive operation with more than 705 airplanes, 200,000 delivery vehicles, and around 5,000 facilities worldwide.

Every day, FedEx's global workforce of over 500,000 people helps move millions of packages, reaching customers in more than 220 countries and territories around the world.

Frederick Smith transitioned out of his role as CEO in 2022, passing leadership responsibilities to Raj Subramaniam.

He remained with the company as executive chairman, focusing on board matters, sustainability, and innovation.

"We were a small startup and had our share of skeptics," Smith once wrote in a letter to employees, CNN reported.

"But that first night of operations set into motion what would become a global connector of people and possibilities that would change our world for the better."

FedEx expanded beyond air delivery, building FedEx Ground and FedEx Freight for trucking services. It also purchased Kinko's, later rebranded as FedEx Office, to offer printing and office solutions.

George W. Bush, who attended Yale with Smith, praised his former classmate as a standout American figure and highlighted how FedEx has transformed both daily life and the business world.