Don Valentine facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Don Valentine
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Valentine in 2009
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| Born | June 26, 1932 Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
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| Died | October 25, 2019 (aged 87) Woodside, California, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Fordham University |
| Occupation | Venture Capitalist |
Donald Thomas Valentine (born June 26, 1932 – died October 25, 2019) was an American venture capitalist. This means he was a person who invested money in new, often risky, businesses. He mostly focused on technology companies in the United States. Many people called him the "grandfather of Silicon Valley venture capital." Silicon Valley is a famous area in California known for its tech companies. The Computer History Museum said he helped create many important industries. These include things like computer chips, personal computers, software, digital games, and internet connections.
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Donald Valentine's Early Life and Career
Donald Valentine grew up in the Bronx, New York. He went to Mount Saint Michael Academy for school. After college, he started his career as a sales engineer at a company called Raytheon. He then worked at Fairchild Semiconductor for seven years. There, he helped build their sales team. Later, he joined National Semiconductor as a senior sales and marketing executive.
Founding Sequoia Capital: Investing in New Ideas
In 1972, Valentine started his own company called Sequoia Capital. This company was a venture capital firm. It focused on investing in new, small, and sometimes risky technology companies. Sequoia Capital's very first investment was in a company called Atari in 1975. Atari was later sold for $28 million.
Helping Famous Tech Companies Grow
Sequoia Capital was one of the first investors in Apple Computer. Donald Valentine met Steve Jobs when Jobs was working at Atari. In 1978, Sequoia invested $150,000 in Apple Inc. Sequoia Capital also made early investments in many other well-known companies. These include Oracle Corporation, Cisco, Electronic Arts, Google, and YouTube.
Leadership Roles and Recognition
Donald Valentine was the chairman of companies like NetApp and Traiana. He also served on the boards of many other technology companies. These included Apple, Atari, Cisco Systems, Electronic Arts, and Oracle. Valentine was also featured in a documentary film called Something Ventured, which came out in 2011.
Donald Valentine's Passing
Donald Valentine passed away on October 25, 2019. He was 87 years old. He is remembered by his three children and seven grandchildren. They all live in the Bay Area.
