Alan Butler (22 November 1898 —24 May 1987), full name Alan Samuel Butler, was (claimed his obituary in The Times) the first private aeroplane owner-driver. From 1923 Butler was chairman of De Havilland Aircraft Company —which he financed— until 1950, a year when De Havilland employed 20,000 people and was building Comet, the world's first commercial jet airliner. In 1925 Butler married Lois Knox-Niven (née Reid) and they had two children, a daughter Carol and a son David. Alan Butler died aged 88. He was survived by his daughter Carol Horton.