Meg Whitman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Meg Whitman
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Whitman in 2022
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| United States Ambassador to Kenya | |
| In office August 5, 2022 – November 13, 2024 |
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| President | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Kyle McCarter |
| Succeeded by | Marc Dillard Chargé d'affaires |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Margaret Cushing Whitman
August 4, 1956 Huntington, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Griffith R. Harsh
(m. 1980) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Princeton University (AB) Harvard University (MBA) |
Margaret Cushing Whitman (born August 4, 1956), known as Meg Whitman, is an American business leader, politician, and diplomat. She is famous for being the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of eBay from 1998 to 2008, helping it become a major online company.
Whitman has also been the CEO of Hewlett Packard and the short-form video company Quibi. As a member of the Republican Party, she ran for governor of California in 2010. She has also supported presidential candidates from both the Republican and Democratic parties.
In 2021, President Joe Biden chose her to be the United States Ambassador to Kenya. She served in this role from August 2022 until November 2024.
Contents
Early Life and School
Meg Whitman was born on August 4, 1956, in Cold Spring Harbor, New York. Her family had a long history in America, with relatives who were involved in politics and history.
She went to Cold Spring Harbor High School and finished in 1974, a year earlier than most students. At first, she wanted to be a doctor and studied math and science at Princeton University. However, she discovered a passion for business after working for a student magazine called Business Today. She changed her studies to economics and graduated in 1977. She then earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Harvard Business School in 1979.
Whitman is married to Dr. Griffith Harsh IV, a neurosurgeon. They have two sons. She donated $30 million to Princeton University, and a new residential building, Whitman College, was named in her honor.
Business Career
First Jobs
Whitman's career began in 1979 at Procter & Gamble, a company that makes many household products. She later worked as a consultant at Bain & Company.
In 1989, she became a vice president at The Walt Disney Company. She also worked for other companies, including the shoe company Stride Rite Corporation. In 1997, she became the general manager of the Playskool Division at Hasbro, a major toy company. There, she was in charge of famous brands like Playskool and Mr. Potato Head. She also helped bring the popular children's TV show Teletubbies to the United States.
Leading eBay to Success
In 1998, Whitman became the CEO of eBay. At the time, it was a small online auction company with only 30 employees and about $4 million in sales. Under her leadership, eBay grew into a global giant. By the time she left in 2008, the company had 15,000 employees and earned $8 billion a year.
During her time at eBay, the company bought other businesses, including the online payment service PayPal in 2002 and the video-calling service Skype in 2005.
Whitman received many awards for her work at eBay. Fortune magazine named her one of the most powerful women in business. The Harvard Business Review called her one of the best-performing CEOs of the decade.
Hewlett-Packard and Other Roles
In 2011, Whitman became the CEO of Hewlett-Packard (HP), a famous technology company. One of her biggest decisions was to keep HP's personal computer business, which the previous CEO had thought about selling. She led the company until 2015 and then became CEO of a new company formed from HP, called Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), until 2018.
After leaving HPE, Whitman became the CEO of Quibi, a company that made short videos for phones. The company did not attract enough users and closed in 2020.
Over the years, Whitman has served on the boards of directors for many major companies, including Procter & Gamble and DreamWorks. She has also invested in sports teams, including the eSports organization Immortals Gaming Club and the soccer team FC Cincinnati.
Political Life
Supporting Presidential Candidates
Whitman has been active in politics for many years. She was a key supporter of Republican Mitt Romney's presidential campaigns in 2008 and 2012.
In 2016, she supported Republican Chris Christie for president. When he left the race and supported Donald Trump, Whitman disagreed. She chose to support the Democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton, saying it was important to "put country first before party." In 2020, she again supported the Democratic candidate, Joe Biden, and spoke at the 2020 Democratic National Convention.
2010 Campaign for Governor
In 2009, Whitman announced she was running for governor of California. She won the Republican primary election, becoming the first woman from her party to run for that office.
Her campaign focused on creating jobs, cutting government spending, and improving schools. She spent $144 million of her own money on the race, which was a record for a political candidate funding their own campaign at the time. In the end, she lost the election to the Democratic candidate, Jerry Brown.
Ambassador to Kenya
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In December 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Whitman to be the U.S. Ambassador to Kenya. The U.S. Senate confirmed her, and she began her duties in August 2022. As an ambassador, her job was to represent the United States in Kenya and work on issues important to both countries.
During her time as ambassador, some of her comments about Kenyan politics were criticized by opposition leaders in the country. She resigned from her post in November 2024.
Political Views
- Environment: Whitman has said it is important to balance protecting the environment with protecting jobs.
- Immigration: She has said there should be better ways to handle illegal immigration than some of the strict laws passed in other states.
- Marriage: In 2010, she supported Proposition 8, which defined marriage as only between a man and a woman. However, in 2013, she announced that she had changed her mind and now supports same-sex marriage.
- Infrastructure: During her campaign for governor, she did not support the California High-Speed Rail project because she felt the state could not afford it at the time.
Charity Work
Whitman and her husband started a charitable foundation in 2006. The foundation donates money to different causes, especially in education. For example, in 2011, it gave $2.5 million to Summit Public Schools, a group that runs charter schools in California.
See also
In Spanish: Meg Whitman para niños
- List of richest American politicians
