# Michael Moritz

> Sir Michael Moritz is a Welsh-born billionaire venture capitalist who spent nearly four decades at Sequoia Capital turning early bets on Google, Yahoo, PayPal, YouTube, Stripe, and Klarna into some of the greatest returns in VC history. A former Time journalist who wrote one of the first books on Apple, he arrived at Sequoia in 1986 and never looked back - topping the Forbes Midas List in 2006 and 2007. Knighted in 2013, he departed Sequoia in July 2023 and remains chairman of Klarna. His Crankstart Foundation has donated hundreds of millions to Oxford, the National Gallery, the ACLU, and the Booker Prize. In 2026, the son of Jewish refugees who fled Nazi Germany applied for German citizenship - protesting the rise of antisemitism in Britain.

- **Role:** Chairman at Klarna
- **Organizations:** Sequoia Capital, Klarna, Crankstart Foundation, The San Francisco Standard
- **From:** Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
- **Nationality:** British-American
- **Education:** BA in History, Christ Church, Oxford, MBA, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
- **Known for:** Forbes Midas List #1 venture capitalist in 2006 and 2007, Backed Google ($12.5M in 1999), Yahoo, PayPal, YouTube, Stripe, Klarna, Zappos, WhatsApp, Spent nearly 37 years at Sequoia Capital as partner and co-head

## Career timeline

- **1978-1986** — Reporter and San Francisco Bureau Chief at Time Magazine; covered Apple Computer extensively
- **1981** — Published 'The Little Kingdom: The Private Story of Apple Computer' - one of the first major books on Apple
- **1984** — Co-authored 'Going for Broke: The Chrysler Story' with Barrett Seaman
- **1986** — Joined Sequoia Capital as general partner
- **1996** — Became co-head of Sequoia Capital alongside Doug Leone
- **1999** — Led Sequoia's $12.5 million investment in Google alongside Kleiner Perkins
- **2006** — Topped Forbes Midas List as #1 venture capitalist; diagnosed with rare incurable blood cancer
- **2007** — Topped Forbes Midas List for second consecutive year
- **2008** — Donated $50 million to Christ Church, Oxford
- **2009** — Published 'Return to the Little Kingdom' - updated Apple history
- **2012** — Stepped back from day-to-day Sequoia operations; became non-executive chairman; donated £75M to Oxford for Moritz-Heyman Scholarships
- **2013** — Awarded Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE)
- **2015** — Co-authored 'Leading' with Sir Alex Ferguson
- **2019** — Crankstart Foundation became sponsor of the Booker Prize
- **2020** — Formally appointed Chairman of Klarna's board
- **2021** — Co-founded The San Francisco Standard news outlet with $10M investment
- **2023** — Departed Sequoia Capital in July after nearly 37 years
- **2025** — Donated £150 million to the National Gallery London for a major extension
- **2026** — Published memoir 'Ausländer: One Family's Story of Escape and Exile'; applied for German citizenship protesting UK antisemitism

## Achievements

- Forbes Midas List #1 venture capitalist in 2006 and 2007
- Backed Google ($12.5M in 1999), Yahoo, PayPal, YouTube, Stripe, Klarna, Zappos, WhatsApp
- Spent nearly 37 years at Sequoia Capital as partner and co-head
- Knighted KBE in 2013 for promoting British economic interests
- Donated £75 million to create Moritz-Heyman Scholarships at Oxford
- Donated £150 million to the National Gallery London (2025)
- Co-authored international bestseller 'Leading' with Sir Alex Ferguson
- Founded The San Francisco Standard news outlet
- Crankstart Foundation sponsors the Booker Prize since 2019
- Signed the Giving Pledge with wife Harriet Heyman
- Donated $20 million to the ACLU
- Estimated net worth of $4-6 billion

## Latest updates

- **2026-03** — Told the BBC that 'Britain is an uncomfortable place for Jews today' and announced application for German citizenship
- **2026-01** — Published memoir 'Ausländer: One Family's Story of Escape and Exile' about his parents' escape from Nazi Germany
- **2025-06** — Donated £150 million via Crankstart Foundation to fund an extension of the National Gallery in London
- **2024-07** — Klarna IPO on the New York Stock Exchange; Sequoia held approximately 22% stake
- **2023-07** — Departed Sequoia Capital after nearly 37 years

## Links

- Twitter/X: https://x.com/mikemoritz

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/michael-moritz
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-04-29