That heavy piece of gold around his neck is opening all sorts of doors, driving interest in his sport and making him the most popular man in the room everywhere he goes.
Life is certainly a little different now the whitewater canoeing star can call himself an Olympic champion and everybody knows his name.
Butcher charged to victory in the kayak cross at the Paris Olympics in August and has since been in relentless demand, most recently as the star guest — next to the Prime Minister — at the annual Otago Daily Times Class Act function in Dunedin.
"It’s pretty crazy how much my life actually did change," he said in an interview.
"I'd like to think I'm not going to change as a person, but it's more of a career in terms of outside being an athlete, or being on the water training. So that's changed a lot.
"Also, it’s showing people and giving them an experience and a bit of inspiration — that gold medal just makes people's eyes light up. And you can see dreams in kids' eyes just coming through, and it's pretty special."
Butcher has vague memories of being a schoolboy when Olympic sailing champion Barbara Kendall came to Alexandra, and he has been shown a photo of Commonwealth Games silver medal-winning swimmer Liz van Welie, another great Central Otago product, with the young paddler in the background.
"So it's like so full circle to be able to bring something home and be that person. So that is something that I didn't probably realise would be like that."
Few knew much about kayak cross, in particular, before they were exposed to its intense blend of action and skill in Paris.
He felt Kiwi sport fans had got a decent taste of the sport’s traditional discipline, canoe slalom, when Luuka Jones won silver in Rio in 2016, but the expanded programme in Paris was a significant development.
"Our racing was over 10 days, I think. And so by the end of that, people had been seeing whitewater kayaking and listening to interviews and the commentary, watching the racing, and actually started to understand what it's about.
"Obviously winning the kayak cross made a big difference. Kiwis absolutely love the Olympics and love gold medals even more.
"I hope that the sport gets a few more eyes. And if there's a few kids that want to get into it, that would be pretty special, knowing that I'd be a small part in maybe creating some more champions or even just people loving it."
Success at the top level does not come cheaply.
Butcher, his parents and his supporters have invested an immense amount into his training, travel, equipment and coaching over the years.
Does winning an Olympic gold medal mean opportunities to cash in and give him some more security as he plans for the next Olympics in Los Angeles? The short answer is yes.
"We're seeing a few opportunities come through. Knowing that I'm going to be trying to get to LA in four years and try to get another gold is pretty cool, and there's a few people who are pretty keen to be on board with that.
"I think I'm proud of the way that I could convey my story. It's pretty cool to see that people want to be a part of that just because they want to help.
"Yeah, I think financially we should be able to run a pretty good campaign to LA and give ourselves the best shot of trying to get another one."
More funding and sponsorship would mean having to make fewer compromises around travel and coaching in particular, Butcher said.
He hoped to lock in coach Aaron Osborne for the four-year Olympic cycle.
And, just like Team New Zealand at the America’s Cup, he hoped more resources would help his team dive into some technical innovation in the sport.
"You want to be able to innovate and stay ahead of the curve of the sport. It's pretty new and we've been doing it for a while now but the technique is changing pretty rapidly.
"There are a few things that I think that I'm pretty good at compared to others and it would be good to keep evolving and try to stay ahead of the curve."
Butcher, who recently had the Olympic rings tattooed on his arm, does not believe, having already conquered his Everest, he will struggle for motivation as he chases more gold medals at Los Angeles 2028.
He felt he was not as good a paddler as he wanted to be, and there was the added lure of trying to succeed in two disciplines.
"I want to be the best in the world in slalom as well as kayak cross, and one race doesn't define who you are, so I want to keep getting better in both of them and I want to bring more medals home to New
Zealand.
"At the same time, it's not about the outcome — it's about the whole journey and stuff like inspiring all those kids or adults or whoever it is to believe in themselves and get out there.
"My story's got a bit of resilience in there and I think having a passion for something is pretty important in life, and going on the back of that passion and doing what you love is a pretty cool space to be in."
Life can get intense as an Olympic champion.
Everyone wants to get an autograph or a selfie — even in the ODT office yesterday, famously cynical reporters lined up to hold the gold medal (heavier than you imagine) — and quiet time has been in short supply.
Butcher was drained when he returned from his European campaign but he is constantly invigorated by the people around him.
"There's definitely time to catch up with friends and family and all those people, and time just being me.
"You get people in the supermarket asking for photos and down at the coffee shop and stuff, so it's a bit of a different world to what I'm used to.
"But, man, it's cool. I can’t believe the amount of people who say how much joy the racing in Paris brought them, and I think seeing my story throughout the Games and after it as well has made people pretty happy."
