CATO CORP

Wayland H. Cato Jr., the current chairman, is the principal investment decision-maker for CATO CORP. He represents the third generation of Cato family leadership and oversees the direct real estate holdings, private credit positions, and external manager relationships that constitute the family office portfolio. His stewardship extends to the Wayland H. Cato, Jr. Foundation, which operates as a distinct philanthropic entity.

CATO CORP is the family office entity managing the wealth of the Cato family, who founded and still control The Cato Corporation, a publicly traded women's fashion retailer (NYSE: CATO). The Cato Corporation was founded in 1922 and went public in 1968, but the family has maintained significant ownership. CATO CORP operates as a separate legal entity from the public company, though capital distributions and liquidity events from the public entity feed the family office balance sheet.

CATO CORP primarily allocates through fund commitments rather than pursuing direct co-investments alongside external general partners. The firm's core direct deployment is concentrated in real estate — including retail, multi-family, and agricultural properties in the Southeast — while its private equity and private credit exposure is largely accessed through external manager relationships. This structure allows the family office to avoid the operational complexity of direct deal execution in sectors outside its real estate expertise.

CATO CORP does not target specific investment stages in the conventional venture capital sense. The firm's direct real estate investments span income-producing commercial properties, development projects, and agricultural land. In private credit, the focus is on cash-flowing middle-market companies seeking senior secured loans. For fund commitments, CATO CORP participates across venture capital and private equity fund vintages, selecting established managers with demonstrated track records rather than emerging strategies.

CATO CORP participates in both direct deals and fund commitments. The direct portfolio is concentrated in real estate assets held on balance sheet. For private equity and venture capital exposure, the firm primarily acts as a limited partner in external funds, a structure that provides manager diversification and vintage-year optionality without requiring a large internal deal team. The private credit book includes both direct senior lending and allocations to credit-focused funds.

Yes, the family maintains the Wayland H. Cato, Jr. Foundation as a separate private foundation apart from CATO CORP. The foundation makes grants primarily in the Carolinas, focusing on education, human services, and Christian ministries. It operates as an independent legal entity with its own grantmaking process, though Wayland H. Cato Jr. serves in leadership roles across both the family office and the foundation.

CATO CORP has no publicly stated sector exclusions. The primary investment focus — real estate, private credit, hedge funds, and private equity fund commitments — represents the portfolio's observed shape rather than a formal policy of avoiding specific verticals. The firm's capital does not appear to pursue direct venture-stage technology investments, consistent with its capital-preservation orientation and in-house expertise concentrated in real asset and credit underwriting.