Arthur Rock

Arthur Rock is widely considered the father of venture capital. In 1968, he provided the crucial funding to help Bob Noyce and Gordon Moore leave Fairchild Semiconductor and found Intel — investing $2.5 million for a stake in what would become the world's most important semiconductor company. A decade later, he made an early investment in Apple Computer, joining the board and helping guide Steve Jobs through the company's critical early years.

Rock's investments in Intel and Apple generated returns measured in the billions and helped create the modern technology industry. But his contribution went beyond money — he helped invent the venture capital model itself, demonstrating that providing capital and guidance to brilliant founders could generate extraordinary returns while advancing technology. His investment philosophy was simple: "I invest in people, not ideas." Both Intel and Apple validated this approach spectacularly, and Rock's legacy lives on in every venture capital firm that follows his people-first approach.