Steve Jurvetson is a highly respected public figure and venture capitalist. He has a long and distinguished career in the tech industry.
Jurvetson is a managing director at Draper Fisher Jurvetson, a prominent venture capital firm. He has invested in numerous successful companies, including Hotmail, which was sold to Microsoft for $400 million.
Jurvetson has also been involved in several high-profile exits, including the sale of Interwise to IBM for $100 million.
Early Life and Education
Steve Jurvetson's father, Tõnu Jürvetson, fled Estonia just before Soviet re-occupation in 1944.
Tõnu Jürvetson settled in the United States and married another Estonian immigrant, Tiiu Tia Jürvetson.
Steve Jurvetson grew up in Dallas, Texas, and graduated from St. Mark's School of Texas in 1985.
He was a standout student, finishing his degree in electrical engineering at Stanford University in just 2.5 years.
Jurvetson graduated No. 1 in his class and went on to earn an M.S. in electrical engineering and an M.B.A. from Stanford.
His first job out of Stanford was working as an R&D engineer at Hewlett-Packard (HP), where he spent two years.
Jurvetson then moved on to Apple and later NeXT Software as a product marketer.
Career and Ventures
Steve Jurvetson's career is a testament to his entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen. He joined Bain & Company as a consultant, where he developed strategies for companies in the software, networking, and semiconductor industries.
Jurvetson's talent didn't go unnoticed, and he became a partner at DFJ after just two years of business school. He was involved in several lucrative investments, including Hotmail, Baidu, Skype, and Interwoven.
One of his most notable investments was Cyras, which was acquired for a staggering $8 billion. However, not all of his investments were successful, as he was also an early backer of Theranos, a blood-testing firm that faced significant controversy.
In addition to his work at DFJ, Jurvetson was appointed as a Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship by President Barack Obama in 2016. This prestigious role recognized his contributions to the entrepreneurial community.
Jurvetson's career took another turn when he stepped down from his role at DFJ Venture Capital in 2017, following an internal investigation into allegations of sexual harassment. He denied any wrongdoing and stated that he was leaving to focus on personal matters.
Public Life
Steve Jurvetson has been involved in various public life endeavors. He was appointed as a Presidential Ambassador for Global Leadership by President Barack Obama in 2016.
Jurvetson has also been an outspoken supporter of progressive causes, including the far-left Black Lives Matter movement. He financially supports the Audacious Project, which helps fund the left-of-center U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence and the Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL).
In the 2020 presidential election, Jurvetson supported Joe Biden's campaign and celebrated his election victory on Twitter.
Leaves VC Firm Amid Harassment Probe
A high-profile VC firm is making headlines for all the wrong reasons. The firm's managing partner, Alex Chen, has left the company amidst a harassment probe.
The investigation, which is ongoing, has been sparked by multiple allegations of misconduct against Chen. He has denied all claims, but the damage has already been done.
The VC firm's reputation is likely to take a hit, and it's unclear how this will affect their future investments.
Political Activities
Steve Jurvetson has been involved in various political activities throughout his life. He financially supports the left-of-center Audacious Project, which in turn helps fund other organizations like the U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence and the Center for Tech and Civic Life.
Jurvetson has expressed his support for progressive causes, calling the Audacious Project a "bold adventure in social philanthropy" and backing the far-left Black Lives Matter movement. He has also been critical of world leaders, attacking Pope Francis for calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine War.
In 2020, Jurvetson publicly supported the presidential campaign of Joe Biden and celebrated his election victory on Twitter. This is not his first foray into politics, as he was appointed by President Barack Obama as a Presidential Ambassador for Global Leadership in 2016.
Jurvetson has a long history of supporting Democratic candidates, having supported the 2008 presidential campaign of then-Sen. Barack Obama and attending the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado.
Personal Life
Steve Jurvetson was married to Karla Jurvetson, a major donor to Democratic candidates and PACs, from 1990 until she filed for divorce in 2016.
Karla Jurvetson has become a leading female donor to Democratic-aligned campaigns and PACs since their divorce, donating over $20 million to these causes in the 2020 election cycle.
Steve Jurvetson married Geneveive Jurvetson in 2018, and they live in Los Altos, California.
The Jurvetson Family Foundation is operated by Steve and Geneveive Jurvetson.
Steve Jurvetson holds a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering and computer science from Stanford University.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did Steve Jurvetson make his money?
Steve Jurvetson made his money through successful investments in companies like Hotmail, Baidu, and Skype, as well as the $8 billion acquisition of Cyras. His savvy investments at DFJ have yielded significant returns.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Jurvetson
- https://www.cnet.com/tech/tech-industry/steve-jurvetson-draper-fisher-jurvetson-dfj-vc-venture-capital-sexual-harassment/
- https://fi.co/insight/building-a-vc-fund-to-change-the-world-with-steve-jurvetson
- https://tim.blog/2018/05/31/steve-jurvetson/
- https://www.influencewatch.org/person/steve-jurvetson/
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