Gordon Moore: a billionaire with great talent

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

His success story is not only unique, it is one of a kind. The famous billionaire Gordon Moore brought great benefits to mankind with his revolutionary inventions. And it's not even that he showed everyone "Silicon Valley" and created the largest manufacturing corporation, which made him one of the we althiest people on the planet. American Gordon Moore has always sought to create something new and make unusual discoveries. He did not want to modernize what someone had already invented. This is probably the secret of his success.

So who is Gordon Moore, and thanks to what inventions did he become famous all over the world? Let's take a closer look at these questions.

Biography

Gordon Moore is a native of San Francisco, California (USA). He was born on January 3, 1929. After receiving a matriculation certificate, the young man successfully passed the exams at San Jose State University, but he studied there for only two years.

Then Gordon transferred to the University of Berkeley (California) and, having receiveddiploma, began to work in the above university, reaching the degree of bachelor of chemistry. In 1954, the young man already became a doctor of science in physics and chemistry, but already at the Institute of Technology. Shortly before that, he got a job as an employee of the Applied Physics Laboratory at Johns Hopkins University.

In 1956, Gordon Moore, whose biography is of great interest to aspiring entrepreneurs, is enrolled in the staff at the Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory research center (Palo Alto) under the supervision of physicist William Shockley.

Own business

After some time, Gordon has friction and conflicts with the head of the laboratory. Moore and seven of his colleagues (including Gordon's future partner, Robert Noyce) decide to quit the Shockley Research Center and establish their own structure.

So, in the fall of 1957, Fairchild Semiconductor was born. Gordon will soon head the engineering department, and Robert Noyce will create a "revolutionary" product for that time - a microcircuit. And although some attribute this "know-how" to another inventor - Jack Kilby (he filed a patent for it), but in fact Noyce was ahead of him by a month and made a microcircuit using his own technology, however, he did not bother to file documents for his invention in time. In general, Noyce's product and Kilby's product were not much different from each other.

Moore's Law

In the late 50s, Gordon Moore, whose quotes today have great practical application in business, will lead the companydepartment, which will be engaged in the creation of an "n-p-n" transistor. In the mid-60s, he had a new microcircuit equipped with 60 transistors in his hands, although until recently Fairchild Semiconductor made classic models with 30 transistors. Using simple arithmetic, the physicist calculated that after a few decades the number of transistors on a microcircuit will increase significantly. This distinctive feature just formed the basis of Moore's law, which was finally finalized in the 70s. Its essence boiled down to a simple pattern - the amount of computer memory doubles every 24 months. This is the conclusion made by Gordon Moore.

Quotes from the future founder of Intel, such as: “Failure should not be avoided. The sooner you face them, the sooner you will succeed” and “A born entrepreneur can build a business from scratch” - and today more than ever have a wide practical application for those who strive for financial independence.

But Gordon Moore could not have imagined that the law he discovered applies not only to PC memory, but also to other performance attributes, such as process speed and dimensions of microcircuits. Thanks to the pattern that the scientist singled out, unique discoveries were made in the field of technology. Yes, after some time more technological laws will be invented, but the discovery of a physicist will always take pride of place in history.

History of the creation of Intel

In 1968, two experienced engineers - Robert Noyce andGordon Moore abruptly terminated the contract with Fairchild Semiconductor. Their colleagues were completely bewildered by their act, which was akin to madness. But scientists took such an odious step deliberately, because they wanted to open a business "for two." They wanted to create a company in what is known as "Silicon Valley".

But physicists are faced with a banal problem, namely: where to get the money to open an enterprise? We had to look for an investor. Having drawn up a business plan on paper, which fit on one page of an A-4 sheet, the entrepreneurs went to San Francisco to the financial tycoon Arthur Rock. He was carried away by their idea, knowing full well what achievements these two geniuses could achieve. As a result, he invested $2.5 million in the project. This is how the world-famous Intel company was born.

Initially, the staff of the company was small. The partners took a secretary and another employee. It turned out to be Andrew Grove, a colleague at Fairchild Semiconductor. Formally, the reins of Intel were concentrated in the hands of Robert Noyce, and Gordon Moore got the position of vice president. In the mid-70s, he became the CEO and president of the company in one person.

Revolutionary breakthrough

Scientists have made every effort to ensure that Intel has become the world's largest supplier of semiconductors. Thanks to the efforts of the company's employees, a microprocessor was invented - the main element in a personal computer. This happened in 1971, then Intel developed the ROM. Today its products are"branded".

Undoubtedly, Gordon Moore's companies in their importance can stand on the same pedestal with such modern giants as Microsoft and Apple.

The inventor was a long-time CEO at Intel, and in 1997 he was given the status: "Honorary Chairman of the Board of Directors."

Regalia and awards

Gordon Moore for many years of fruitful activity has received a number of awards and distinctions. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering Sciences and chairs the board of trustees at the California Institute of Technology. In the early 90s, the scientist was awarded the National Medal for high achievements in the field of technology. In 2011, Moore's financial fortune was estimated at almost $4 billion, and he does not spare money for charity.

It is known that in 2001 the scientist and his wife donated $600 million to the California Institute of Technology for the development of scientific thought.