Charles Simonyi
About Charles Simonyi
Early Microsoft employee Charles Simonyi is the man behind some of the company's most successful software, including Word and Excel.
The developer has a Ph.D. in computer science from Stanford, and worked on one of the first personal computers at Xerox.
He joined Microsoft, then a fledgling firm, as employee No. 40 in 1981, and spent two decades in application development.
A native of Hungary, he left Microsoft and in 2002 and founded Intentional Software, which develops platforms for productivity apps.
Microsoft acquired Intentional Software in 2017 for an undisclosed price, bringing Simonyi back to the Redmond, Washington giant.
He supports arts and science initiatives, including a $5 million gift to the University of Washington for a computer science building in 2017.
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United States of AmericaSource of wealth
MicrosoftResidence
Medina, WashingtonMarital status
MarriedBirth date
09/10/48 (age 76)Number of children
2Education
Doctorate, Stanford University; Bachelor of Arts/Science, University of California, BerkeleySelf-made
self-madeCharles Simonyi’s fortune is worth
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median U.S. household
median U.S. income
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Did you know?
Simonyi worked as a night watchman in a computer lab as a teenager, which allowed him to use the machines after everyone had left.
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NASDAQ | MSFT-US
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