# Henry T. Nicholas III

> Henry T. Nicholas III is an American electrical engineer, Broadcom Corporation co-founder and former president and CEO. He founded Marsy’s Law for All, a crime victims’ rights campaign named for his sister, and partnered with retired judge Jack Mandel to establish the Nicholas Academic Centers in Santa Ana. His public career combines communications technology, contested constitutional advocacy and sustained support for college access.

- **Role:** Founder of Marsy’s Law for All; co-founder and financier of Nicholas Academic Centers
- **Organizations:** Broadcom Corporation, Marsy’s Law for All, Henry T. Nicholas, III Foundation, Henry T. Nicholas Education Foundation, Nicholas Academic Centers, TRW, PairGain Technologies
- **From:** Cincinnati, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** United States Air Force Academy, BS, Electrical Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, MS, Electrical Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, PhD, Electrical Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles
- **Known for:** Co-founded Broadcom Corporation and led it from 1991 until January 2003., Received the 2014 IEEE Frederik Philips Award for entrepreneurial leadership in commercializing communications semiconductors., Led and financed the California Marsy’s Law initiative approved in 2008.

## Career timeline

- **1980s** — Worked at TRW, where he met Henry Samueli, and subsequently at PairGain Technologies.
- **1991** — Co-founded Broadcom Corporation with Samueli in a Redondo Beach condominium; each contributed $5,000.
- **1998** — Broadcom went public in April.
- **2003** — Resigned as Broadcom president and CEO in January.
- **2007** — Partnered with retired judge Jack Mandel on the Nicholas Academic Centers.
- **2008** — First Nicholas Academic Center opened in January; California voters passed Marsy’s Law in November.
- **2009** — Founded Marsy’s Law for All; second academic center opened at Valley High School.
- **2014** — Received the IEEE Frederik Philips Award.
- **2016** — Third academic center opened at Century High School.

## Achievements

- Co-founded Broadcom Corporation and led it from 1991 until January 2003.
- Received the 2014 IEEE Frederik Philips Award for entrepreneurial leadership in commercializing communications semiconductors.
- Led and financed the California Marsy’s Law initiative approved in 2008.
- Co-founded and financed three Nicholas Academic Centers in Santa Ana; the organization reported $57.7 million in his donations in June 2025.

## Latest updates

- **2025-06** — Hosted the NAC’s 17th annual graduation celebration on June 6, honoring 198 graduates with 1,736 college acceptances. NAC reported $57.7 million in his contributions.
- **2025-11** — Nicholas and the NAC redirected resources from their annual Thanksgiving celebration toward meal kits for students’ immediate families.
- **2026-03** — Forbes Spain’s 2026 billionaires list estimated his wealth at $20.6 billion and ranked him 125th.

## Links

- Website: https://www.nacenters.org/archives/founders/henry-t-nicholas-foundation

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/henry-nicholas
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-12