Most people have never heard of Reginald F. Lewis. But in the 1980s, he became the first Black man in American history to close a billion-dollar business deal. Behind that historic moment was a Filipino immigrant and communications strategist, Butch Meily, who helped shape the public narrative around one of the most consequential business deals of the era.
Meily’s path to Wall Street was anything but conventional, he arrived in the United States with big dreams and few contacts. In the late 1980s, he became the head of communications for TLC Beatrice International, the Black-owned multinational food company founded by Reginald Lewis.
In his new book, From Manila to Wall Street, Meily reflects on their unlikely partnership and the complexities of crafting a public image while making history. It’s a dual memoir, one that captures both Lewis’s meteoric rise and Meily’s journey from behind-the-scenes strategist to thoughtful chronicler of ambition, race, and identity.
Lewis made headlines in 1987 when he led the $985 million leveraged buyout of Beatrice International Foods, a global conglomerate made up of 64 companies in 31 countries—a record-setting transaction that established him as a titan of American finance. But he carefully considered how his identity was publicly acknowledged, balancing his desire to be recognized foremost as a successful American businessman.
It was a deliberate choice, one Meily helped execute. As the person responsible for managing the company’s messaging, Meily helped present Lewis’s success predominantly through an economic lens, mindful of how public perception could influence investor confidence amidst prevalent biases.
But decades later, Meily now reflects differently. In his final years, Lewis embraced a more public acknowledgment of his identity, titling his memoir “Why Should White Guys Have All the Fun?”—reflecting a bold and intentional decision to highlight ethnicity in his narrative.”
Throughout the book, Meily peels back the curtain on what it means to operate in elite spaces as an outsider. Whether as an immigrant navigating New York’s corporate world or as a confidant to a man breaking barriers in business, he describes the tension of being both indispensable and invisible.
“There’s a strange kind of invisibility that comes with being close to power,” he writes. “You’re present for historic moments but rarely invited to narrate them.”
Writing the book took years. Not just because of time, but because of the emotional labor involved. Meily had to confront his own role in downplaying identity and legacy. He had to learn how to tell a story he was once conditioned to minimize.
From Manila to Wall Street offers more than a business biography. It’s a reflection on the quiet negotiations behind public triumphs, a meditation on identity, and a tribute to a man who transformed not only markets but also the expectations of what was possible for future generations.
Today, as discussions about diversity and representation intensify, Meily’s reflections add a nuanced voice about navigating visibility and legacy within complex societal contexts.
Here are some of Meily’s most resonant takeaways:
- Success without identity is incomplete. Visibility is not vanity; it’s validation.
- “For Meily, legacy encompasses not just accomplishments, but the narratives one chooses to elevate—recognizing that personal stories are inseparable from the larger historical and cultural forces that shape them.”
In telling his own story alongside Lewis’s, Meily ensures that the contributions of both men are no longer relegated to the background. He hopes the book inspires others to recognize that presence is power—and that being in the room is only the beginning.
From Manila to Wall Street is Meily’s long-overdue spotlight moment. But more than that, it prompts reflection on whose stories are traditionally elevated and whose voices still need recognition. And who still waits to be heard?
That’s the legacy Meily wants readers to remember.
