Eugene Kleiner facts for kids

Eugene Kleiner (born May 12, 1923 – died November 20, 2003) was an important engineer and investor from Austria and the United States. He helped start many new technology companies. People remember him as a key person in the early days of Silicon Valley. This is a famous area in California where many tech companies began.

Eugene Kleiner was one of the first people to create Fairchild Semiconductor. This company made important parts for computers. He was also part of a group called the "Traitorous Eight". Later, he co-founded Kleiner Perkins. This company helps new businesses grow by giving them money. It is called a venture capital firm. Kleiner Perkins invested in over 300 technology and science companies. Some famous ones include Amazon.com, Google, Electronic Arts, and Netscape.

Early Life and Education

Eugene Kleiner was born in Vienna, Austria, on May 12, 1923. In 1938, his family had to leave Austria. They moved to New York two years later to escape danger.

He joined the U.S. Army. After that, he went to college. In 1948, he earned a degree in mechanical engineering from the Polytechnic University of New York. He also got a master's degree in industrial engineering from New York University.

Career in Technology

After teaching engineering for a short time, Eugene Kleiner joined Western Electric. This company was a big part of AT&T Corporation.

Founding Fairchild Semiconductor

In 1956, a scientist named William Shockley asked Eugene Kleiner to come to California. Shockley wanted to start a new company called Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory. Kleiner was one of the first to join.

But in 1957, Eugene Kleiner and seven other people left Shockley's company. Shockley called them the "traitorous eight". This group decided to start their own company, Fairchild Semiconductor. Many people say this was the first major company to "spin off" (start from) another in what is now called Silicon Valley.

Another investor, Arthur Rock, said that Kleiner led the group. He helped them get $1.5 million from Sherman Fairchild to start the new company. Kleiner also managed the new company's daily tasks.

Investing in New Companies

Later, Eugene Kleiner used his own money to invest in Intel. This company makes computer chips. It was started in 1968 by two other Fairchild founders, Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore.

In 1972, Kleiner teamed up with Tom Perkins. Perkins used to work at Hewlett-Packard. Together, they started Kleiner Perkins. This is the venture capital firm that invests in new businesses. It is located on Sand Hill Road, a famous street for tech investors. In 1977, Brook Byers and Frank J. Caufield joined as partners. Eugene Kleiner stopped working day-to-day in the early 1980s.

Personal Life

In 1947, Eugene Kleiner married Rose Wassertheil. She had also moved from Poland. They had two children, Robert and Lisa. Rose passed away in 2001. Eugene Kleiner died on November 20, 2003, in Los Altos Hills, California.

Kleiner's Advice

Eugene Kleiner had some wise advice about business and life. Here are a few of his ideas:

• Make sure people actually want your product. A great idea isn't enough if no one wants to buy it.
• Focus on one thing at a time. Don't try to do too much at once.
• Take risks early on.
• When money is available, take it.
• Sometimes, even bad companies can look good when the economy is strong.
• It's often easier to get a part of an existing market than to create a brand new one.
• Invest in people, not just products. Good people make good companies.