Michael Moritz

Michael Moritz was born in Wales, studied history at Oxford University, and earned his MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He worked as a journalist for Time magazine, where he wrote extensively about Silicon Valley and published 'The Little Kingdom' (1984), a history of Apple Computer based on access to Steve Jobs and other early Apple employees. He joined Sequoia Capital in 1986 and over the next 26 years became one of the most successful venture capitalists of his generation. His investment portfolio includes some of the most important technology companies of the internet era: he led Sequoia's investment in Yahoo at its founding, invested $12.5 million in Google in 1999 for approximately 10% of the company (a stake worth billions), and backed PayPal, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, and many others. Under his partnership Sequoia grew from a small venture fund to one of the world's most prestigious investment firms. A Welsh-American who retained his British perspective on Silicon Valley, Moritz is known for his thoughtful analysis of technology companies and his historical perspective derived from his journalist background. He wrote extensively about Apple's early history and Steve Jobs, providing primary source accounts that remain valuable historical documents.