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Vinod Khosla

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Vinod Khosla
Born (1955-01-28) 28 January 1955 (age 69)
Delhi, India
Alma materIIT Delhi
Carnegie Mellon University
Stanford Graduate School of Business
Occupation(s)Venture capitalist, Khosla Ventures
SpouseNeeru Khosla
ChildrenNina, Anu, Vani and Neal

Vinod Khosla (Gurmukhi: ਵਿਨੋਦ ਖੋਸਲਾ) (born 28 January 1955) is an Indian born businessman who is currently listed by Forbes magazine as an American billionaire.[2] Khosla made his early fortune as one of the co-founders of Sun Microsystems, a company which created the Java (programming language) and Network File System (NFS) after his departure as founding CEO and chairman in the early 1980s. Khosla attracted attention for his efforts to prevent public access to a beach in California (Martin's Beach, San Mateo county) where he owns adjacent land.

Early life and education

Khosla's father was an officer in the Indian Army and was posted at New Delhi, India.[3][4]

Khosla read about the founding of Intel in Electronic Engineering Times at the age of fourteen and this inspired him to pursue technology as a career. He went on to receive multiple degrees from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi), India (Bachelor of Technology in Electrical Engineering), Carnegie Mellon University (Masters in Biomedical Engineering), and Stanford Graduate School of Business (MBA).[5]

Career

After graduating from Stanford University in 1980, Khosla worked for electronic design automation company Daisy Systems. Then in 1982, Khosla co-founded Sun Microsystems (SUN is the acronym for the Stanford University Network), along with Stanford classmates Scott McNealy, Andy Bechtolsheim, and UC Berkeley computer science graduate student Bill Joy. Khosla served as the first chairman and CEO of Sun Microsystems from 1982 to 1984, when he left the company to become a venture capitalist.

In 1987, Khosla joined the venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers as a general partner. At Kleiner, Khosla became a recognized venture capitalist, with several successful early stage investments. Khosla also played a key role with several of the tech industry's most spectacular failures, including Asera, Dynabook, BroadBand Office, Excite@Home, and many others.[citation needed]

He also invested in an Indian microfinance company, SKS Microfinance, which lends small loans to poor women in rural India. Khosla is also one of the founders of TiE, The Indus Entrepreneurs, and has guest-edited a special issue of The Economic Times (ET), a leading business newspaper in India.

Khosla was featured on Dateline NBC in May 2006, where he discussed the practicality of ethanol as a gasoline substitute.[6] He is known[by whom?] to have invested heavily in ethanol companies, in hopes of widespread adoption.

Khosla was a major proponent of the "Yes on 87" campaign to pass California's Proposition 87, The Clean Energy Initiative, which failed to pass in November 2006.

In 2006, Khosla's wife Neeru co-founded the CK-12 Foundation, which aims to develop open source textbooks and lower the cost of education in America and the rest of the world. Khosla and his wife are also donors to the Wikimedia Foundation, in the amount of $500,000.[7]

Khosla Ventures

Main article: Khosla Ventures

Khosla formed his own venture capital firm, Khosla Ventures in 2004. The firm is based in Menlo Park, California,[8] and manages approximately $1 billion of investor capital as well as investments funded by Khosla himself.[9]

In September 2009, Khosla completed fundraising for two new funds, to invest in cleantech and information technology start-ups. Khosla Ventures III secured $750 million of investor commitments to invest in traditional early stage and growth stage companies. Khosla also raised $250 million for Khosla Seed, which will invest in higher-risk opportunities.

In May 2010 it was announced that former British Prime Minister Tony Blair was to join Khosla Ventures to provide strategic advice regarding investments in technologies focused on the environment.[10][failed verification]

Other accomplishments and affiliations

In addition to his role in founding Sun Microsystems, Khosla has founded a number of other businesses and organizations. Khosla was also involved with the founding of Daisy Systems in 1981.[5] He is also one of the founders of TiE, The Indus Entrepreneurs, and has guest-edited a special issue of Economic Times (ET), a leading business newspaper in India.[citation needed]

Khosla was a finalist for the 1999 World Technology Award and served as the Honorary Chair of the DonorsChoose San Francisco Bay Area Advisory Board.[citation needed] In addition, Khosla is a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Blum Center for Developing Economies at the University of California, Berkeley.[11] The Center is focused on finding solutions to address the crisis of extreme poverty and disease in the developing world.[12]

Preceded by
first
 CEO of Sun Microsystems
1982–1984 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
first
 Chairman of Sun Microsystems
1982–1984 		Succeeded by

Martin's Beach Dispute

Khosla has made efforts to prevent public access to a beach in California (Martin's Beach, San Mateo county) where he owns adjacent land.[13] His attempts to close the beach by erecting a gate with armed guards at the road entrance and painting over the welcome sign that existed prior to his ownership of the property has been the subject of legal challenges, popular resentment, and extensive press coverage.[14] Many regard it as illegal under California law. Khosla won an early judgment in the California courts that determined he has a right to control the beach via the Mexican land rights guaranteed by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.[15] However, his ability to restrict access is being challenged in a suit brought by the Surfrider Foundation.[16]

Khosla is engaged in a legal dispute surrounding public access to Martin's Beach, several miles south of Half Moon Bay, California.[17][18] Martin's Beach was previously a popular family beach and surf spot before Khosla purchased the property adjacent to the beach and blocked access. The previous owners of the land had allowed the public to access the beach for a fee. Khosla won a victory in May 2014, when Judge Gerald Buchwald issued a ruling which concluded that Martin's Beach LLC 1 and 2, the formal owners of Martin's Beach, can block public access to the beach, due to an exemption granted by the treaty which ended the Mexican-American war. The judge concluded that Khosla's property is not subject to aspects of the California Constitution because it was originally a rancho that predated the State.[19] The Surfrider Foundation has filed a second lawsuit against Khosla for violations of the California Coastal Act.[20] Former Congressman Pete McCloskey said about the land closure, "To put a rope across the road and say, 'The hell with you' — I'd call it the arrogance of great wealth."[21]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Forbes 400 #352 Vinod Khosla". Forbes.com. Retrieved 2013-09-16.
  2. ^ http://www.forbes.com/pictures/eiil45elgg/vinod-khosla/. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. ^ "Vinod Khosla Biography". Scribd.com. Retrieved 2010-03-09.
  4. ^ "Vinod Khosla Biography". Indobase.com. Retrieved 2010-03-09.
  5. ^ a b Bhide, Amar V. (December 14, 1989), Vinod Khosla and Sun Microsystems (A), Harvard Business Publishing
  6. ^ A simple solution to pain at the pump?. Dateline NBC, May 7, 2006
  7. ^ Cadelago, Chris (August 24, 2008). "Wikimedia pegs future on education, not profit". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2008-08-24.
  8. ^ Khosla Ventures (company website)
  9. ^ The Economist, "Brain scan: Betting on green", 12 March 2011, pp. 22–23.
  10. ^ Khosla Ventures piles up $1 billion for green tech. CNET News, September 1, 2009
  11. ^ "Trustees of the Blum Center for Developing Economies". Blumcenter.berkeley.edu. 2010-02-01. Retrieved 2010-11-29.
  12. ^ blumcenter.berkeley.edu
  13. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/16/us/its-privacy-vs-the-people-in-the-battle-for-martins-beach.html?hp. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  14. ^ http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-martins-beach-20140513-story.html. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  15. ^ Gutierrez, Melody (May 28, 2014). "Martins Beach fight heads to state". SFGate. San Francisco Chronicle.
  16. ^ http://www.mercurynews.com/san-mateo-county-times/ci_24217383/setback-martins-beach-access-movement
  17. ^ "Vinod Khosla wins key Martins Beach battle". San Jose Mercury News. October 24, 2013. Retrieved 2014-05-15.
  18. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Martins Beach
  19. ^ Romney, Lee (October 25, 2013). "Venture capitalist wins round in fight to block public beach access". Los Angeles Times.
  20. ^ Fimrite, Peter (May 13, 2014). "Martins Beach billionaire evades questions on stand". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2014-05-15.
  21. ^ Smith, Chris A. (August 2014) "Bummer Beach." San Francisco Magazine. Page 83.
Entrepreneurship, innovation, venture capital, etc
Beach property lawsuits

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