Bill Gurley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bill Gurley
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Gurley in 2013
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John William Gurley
May 10, 1966 (age 59) Dickinson, Texas, U.S.
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| Known for | Investing, general partner at Benchmark |
John William Gurley (born May 10, 1966) is a famous American businessman. He is a top investor, known for helping new technology companies grow. Bill Gurley is a general partner at Benchmark, which is a big company that invests in new businesses in Silicon Valley. Many people think he is one of the best dealmakers in the American technology world.
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Learning and First Jobs
John William Gurley was born in Dickinson, Texas, near Houston, on May 10, 1966. He went to the University of Florida and earned a science degree in 1989. While he was there, he played on the men's basketball team. Later, he got his business degree from the University of Texas in 1993.
Before he became an investor, Gurley worked as an engineer at Compaq Computer. He helped design important computer products. He also worked at Advanced Micro Devices, another tech company.
After that, Gurley spent four years working on Wall Street as a research analyst. He studied big companies like Dell, Compaq, and Microsoft. He was also the main analyst for the first public sale of shares for Amazon.com.
Working at Benchmark
At Benchmark, Bill Gurley has led many investments. He has also joined the boards of several companies. Some of these include GrubHub, Nextdoor, OpenTable, Stitch Fix, and Zillow.
He also invested in other successful companies. These include Business.com, JAMDAT Mobile (which makes mobile games), Shopping.com, and Uber. Gurley is often listed on the Forbes Midas List, which names the top venture capitalists.
Advice During Tough Times
In 2008, when the economy faced big problems, Gurley got a lot of attention. He sent a letter to the companies he invested in. He told their leaders to be careful with money. But he also advised them to look for new chances during hard economic times.
In 2015, Gurley shared his thoughts on investing in private tech companies. He believed that the tech world was becoming too risky and might not last. His warnings and his blog posts on his website, "Above the Crowd," were talked about a lot. He also told other investors to be careful before putting money into very valuable new companies, sometimes called "unicorn" companies.
In March 2016, Gurley was named "VC of the Year" at the TechCrunch Crunchies awards.
His Role with Uber
Gurley left the board of directors for Uber in June 2017. This news came out after Uber's CEO, Travis Kalanick, stepped down. Gurley had a close working relationship with Kalanick. He was a very active board member and a trusted advisor. Gurley showed his support for Kalanick on Twitter. He said that Kalanick had a lasting impact on the world.
In April 2020, The Wall Street Journal reported that Gurley would be stepping back from Benchmark. This meant he would not be investing in a new fund that his company was starting.
About His Life
Bill Gurley is known for being very tall; he is 6 feet 9 inches (2.06 meters) tall. The name of his blog, Above the Crowd, is a fun reference to his height. A book called eBoys talks about the Benchmark team. The subtitle of this book also mentions his height: "The true story of the six tall men who backed eBay, Webvan, and other billion-dollar start-ups."
Gurley is married and has three children. He lives in Austin, Texas.
