# Don Valentine

> Don Valentine was the founder of Sequoia Capital and one of the most consequential venture capitalists in American history. A working-class Bronx kid who paid his Fordham tuition in cash, he parlayed a career in semiconductor sales at Raytheon, Fairchild, and National Semiconductor into a firm that backed Apple, Atari, Cisco, Oracle, Google, and YouTube. His contrarian philosophy - bet on markets, not founders - and his Socratic boardroom style made him one of the architects of modern Silicon Valley. He died in October 2019 at age 87, leaving behind a legacy that shaped the entire venture capital industry.

- **Role:** Founder of Sequoia Capital (deceased)
- **Organizations:** Sequoia Capital, Cisco Systems, Apple, Atari, Oracle, NetApp, Electronic Arts, Computer History Museum, San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Opera Guild
- **From:** New York City, USA
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** High School Diploma, Mount Saint Michael Academy, Bachelor of Arts, Fordham University
- **Known for:** Founded Sequoia Capital in 1972, one of the most successful VC firms in history, Early investor in Apple Computer ($150,000 in 1978), Early investor in Atari, Cisco, Oracle, Electronic Arts

## Career timeline

- **1932** — Born Donald Thomas Valentine in the Bronx, New York City
- **~1954** — Brief U.S. military service; relocates permanently to California
- **~1956** — Begins career as sales engineer at Raytheon
- **~1965** — Joins National Semiconductor as senior sales and marketing executive
- **~1967** — Joins Fairchild Semiconductor as manager of worldwide sales
- **1972** — Founds Sequoia Capital in Menlo Park, California
- **1974** — Creates Sequoia Capital's first venture fund (total U.S. early-stage VC under $50M)
- **1975** — Invests in Atari; eventually sold to Warner Communications for $28 million
- **1978** — Invests $150,000 in Apple Computer; refers Steve Jobs to Mike Markkula
- **1980s** — Backs Oracle, Cisco Systems, Electronic Arts, LSI Logic, and more
- **1990s** — Serves as Cisco Chairman; backs dozens of networking and semiconductor companies
- **1996** — Steps back from day-to-day operations; passes leadership to Doug Leone and Michael Moritz
- **2011** — Featured in Emmy Award-winning documentary 'Something Ventured'
- **2019** — Dies October 25 in Woodside, California at age 87

## Achievements

- Founded Sequoia Capital in 1972, one of the most successful VC firms in history
- Early investor in Apple Computer ($150,000 in 1978)
- Early investor in Atari, Cisco, Oracle, Electronic Arts
- Served as Cisco Systems board chairman for approximately 30 years
- Named Computer History Museum Fellow for role in shaping the semiconductor, PC, software, and networking industries
- Featured in Emmy Award-winning documentary 'Something Ventured' (2011)
- Sequoia Capital portfolio companies represent trillions in cumulative market value
- Established the market-first investment philosophy that defined modern venture capital
- Mentored successors including Michael Moritz and Doug Leone who extended Sequoia globally

## Latest updates

- **2019-10** — Don Valentine passed away on October 25, 2019 in Woodside, California at age 87
- **2023-06** — Sequoia Capital - the firm he founded - restructured to spin out China and India/SE Asia operations as independent entities, continuing the evolution of the institution he built
- **2024-01** — Sequoia's legacy investments from Valentine's era continue to generate returns; the firm remains a top-tier global VC

## Links

- Website: https://www.sequoiacap.com

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/don-valentine
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-05