Tom Buttgenbach

He attended the University of Cologne in Germany for his undergraduate studies in Physics and Mathematics and earned a Ph.D. from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in physics and astronomy, where he attended as a Fulbright Scholar.[2] His thesis advisor was Thomas G. Phillips.

Before founding 8minute Solar Energy, Buttgenbach worked in management consulting with McKinsey & Company, investment banking and real estate development.[3]

In December 2018, Buttgenbach launched a $200 million joint venture along with J.P. Morgan Asset Management and an affiliate of Upper Bay Infrastructure Partners.[4][5] In December 2018, Buttgenbach purchased the shares of fellow co-founder Martin Hermann from 8minutenergy Renewables, LLC.[6][7] As of June 2019, the company made an official name change to 8minute Solar Energy. In 2022, 8minute Solar Energy announced they had secured $400 million in financing from institutional investor EIG.[8]

A lawsuit accuses him of misappropriating the University of California system’s money after the latter invested in a collection of solar projects.[9] The complaint, filed in January in Alameda County Superior Court, claims that Buttgenbach submitted false claims to the university system to induce solar project investments worth $150 million, which he allegedly used to enrich himself. The public university's regents allege that Buttgenbach fraudulently induced it to invest in a collection of solar development projects in early 2020, then he misappropriated much of the capital and used it to enrich himself. \[10] 8minute Solar Energy and Buttgenbach described the allegations at the time as “baseless and frivolous.”[11] The UC system’s allegations mirror claims previously brought by 8minute Solar Energy's Class B investors, which included the UC and its investment partners.[12] All of the Class B investors’ claims were dismissed or rejected as a result of arbitration that concluded with 8minute Solar Energy and Buttgenbach awarded fees and damages in February of 2022.[13][14] A review by the law firm Brown Rudnick LLP found the UC system’s claims to be meritless and discovered evidence of wrongdoing on the part of the UC Regent’s investment agent, a finding that was later confirmed by an arbitrator.[15][16]

Buttgenbach and his companies have worked with the Sierra Club to ensure solar development protects the environment.[17] Buttgenbach is on the Green Advisory Board of the California League of Conservation Voters and sits on the board of directors for the Los Angeles Business Council.[18][19] In 2020, he was named an Entrepreneur of The Year for Greater Los Angeles by Ernst & Young.[20] He was recognized as a Visionary in the L.A. Times’ C-Suite: Trends, Updates and Visionaries Magazine for 2022.[21]