B. Wayne Hughes

1933 - 2021

B. Wayne Hughes
September 28, 1933 - August 18, 2021
Lexington, Kentucky - B. Wayne Hughes, family man, dedicated philanthropist and icon in the real estate industry, died peacefully on August 18 at his home in Lexington, Kentucky, surrounded by his loving family. He was 87.
Wayne was a pioneer of American business and innovator of many groundbreaking ventures over his long and successful career, including trailblazing two thriving real estate sectors – self-storage with the founding of Public Storage in 1972, the largest self-storage company in the world, and single-family rental homes. In 2011, Wayne revolutionized the housing industry when he founded American Homes 4 Rent with a vision of offering families across the country more desirable and affordable housing choices.
Wayne was born Bradley Wayne in Gotebo, Oklahoma, the son of a sharecropper, and moved to Southern California's San Gabriel Valley as a child. He developed his strong work ethic at an early age, starting a newspaper delivery route as a teenager to help pay for college. Wayne studied at the University of Southern California, graduating in 1957, and went on to serve as an officer in the Navy.
While Wayne distinguished himself over the course of 60 years as a real estate entrepreneur, he never overlooked the importance of his family, colleagues and community. A devoted USC Trojan throughout his life, Wayne served on the university's Board of Trustees and received an honorary Doctorate of Business Administration degree in 2014. He was an ardent supporter of higher education and was one of USC's most prolific donors over the past several decades.
Wayne's relentless drive to better the world also led him to contribute his time and financial resources to cancer research through the establishment of the William Lawrence and Blanche Hughes Foundation. Following the death of his youngest son Parker in 1998, Wayne committed himself to eradicating childhood leukemia, and his philanthropy supported many important research milestones.
Upon retirement from the real estate sector, Wayne purchased Spendthrift Farm in Lexington, turning his passion for horse racing into a thriving business. Spendthrift is now the home of North America's leading stallion operation, and its stallion roster has produced many champions, including the 2020 Kentucky Derby winner Authentic.
Wayne is survived by his wife Patricia, his son Wayne Jr. (Molly), his daughter Tamara Gustavson (Eric), his grandchildren Kylie Barraza (Pat), Skylar Hughes, and Grant and Greer Gustavson, his sister Sue Caldwell and family, as well as Frank, Bill, Allen and many cousins and friends.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the following organizations in honor of B. Wayne Hughes:
University of Southern California
https://keck.usc.edu/BWayneHughes
Seattle Children's Foundation
https://give.seattlechildrens.org/waynehughes