Ronald “Butch” Everett Lewis was born on 26 June 1946, in Woodbury, New Jersey USA, and was a professional boxing manager and promoter, best known for managing the careers of some of the biggest names in the sport, including the brothers Michael and Leon Spinks. All of his efforts helped put his net worth to where it was, prior to his passing in 2011.
How rich was Butch Lewis? As of mid-2017, sources inform us of a net worth that was at $7 million, mostly earned through a successful career in the boxing industry in which he was active from the 1970s, although he later branched-out into the entertainment and music industry. All of his achievements ensured the position of his wealth.
Butch Lewis Net Worth $7 million
Butch grew up in Philadelphia, but didn’t start his career in boxing until the 1970s. Prior to that, he had a career in sales, including selling used cars as well as jewelry. After seeing the work of promoters, he became interested in boxing and gave it a try, slowly but surely developing his craft at promotions as well as managing. His net worth increased over the years, and soon he would be the manager of Leon and Michael Spinks. Leon competed from 1977 to 1995 and would defeat Muhammad Ali in 1978 claiming the undisputed heavyweight championship in only his eighth fight; however, he would lose in a rematch with Ali. Butch became responsible for helping Leon reach riches after fighting Mike Tyson in 1988 with a purse that got him $13.5 million. Michael Spinks also competed around the same time, though retiring earlier, in 1988 – he became a two weight world champion, winning the lineal heavyweight title and the undisputed light heavyweight title. He is part of the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
Lewis has had fights involving some of the biggest names in boxing, including Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali. He later left the firm Top Rank to start his own firm, but also did promotions for Bernard Hopkins early in his career, although the two parted ways after accusations of dishonesty. In the 1990s, he would expand to entertainment and music which also helped in building his net worth, and in 2008 partnering with Def Jam Records to create the record label Voicez, then establishing Butch Lewis Entertainment, an offshoot of his promoting company Butch Lewis Productions. He began representing entertainers and also did collaborative work with films.
For his personal life, it is known that Butch has three sons and a daughter with his ex-wife, and lived with girlfriend Louise Cummings. He often sported tuxedos and had a colorful personality. He was an avid collector of art, items which were later sold through an auction. He also did philanthropic work during his life, often raising money for children’s programs. He helped support James Brown after his release from prison, and also helped Nelson Mandela after his release from prison. He passed away in 2011 after a heart attack while at his home in Bethany Beach, Delaware. Actors such as Denzel Washington and Leon Robinson were some of his close friends and attended his funeral.
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