# Mike Moritz

> Sir Michael Moritz KBE is a Welsh-born venture capitalist and author who spent nearly 38 years at Sequoia Capital, becoming one of the most successful investors in technology history. A former Time magazine journalist who wrote the first history of Apple, he backed Google at a $100 million valuation, Yahoo with a 24-hour ultimatum, and PayPal before anyone knew what digital payments meant. Diagnosed with an incurable blood cancer in 2006, he kept investing for another 17 years. In 2025 he published 'Ausländer,' a memoir about his family's escape from Nazi Germany — and announced he was applying for German citizenship.

- **Role:** Chairman at Sequoia Heritage
- **Organizations:** Sequoia Capital, Sequoia Heritage, Crankstart Foundation, San Francisco Standard, Klarna, Stripe, Instacart
- **From:** Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
- **Nationality:** British (Welsh)
- **Education:** BA, History, Christ Church, Oxford University, MBA, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
- **Known for:** #1 Forbes Midas List 2006 and 2007 (two consecutive years), Led Sequoia's $12.5 million investment in Google at a $100 million valuation, Led Sequoia's founding $1 million investment in Yahoo

## Career timeline

- **1954** — Born in Cardiff, Wales, to Ludwig and Doris Moritz, both Jewish refugees who fled Nazi Germany
- **1978** — Graduated from Wharton on a Thouron Scholarship; began career in journalism
- **1979** — Joined Time magazine as a staff writer and technology journalist
- **1982** — Became Time magazine's San Francisco Bureau Chief
- **1983** — Steve Jobs personally hired Moritz to document the development of the Macintosh
- **1984** — Published 'The Little Kingdom: The Private Story of Apple Computer' - the first history of Apple. Jobs cut ties after the book included interviews with his ex-girlfriend about their daughter Lisa
- **1984** — Co-authored 'Going for Broke: Lee Iacocca's Battle to Save Chrysler' with Barrett Seaman
- **1986** — Joined Sequoia Capital, hired by founder Don Valentine
- **1995** — Led Sequoia's $1 million founding investment in Yahoo, acquiring 25% stake with a famous 24-hour ultimatum to Jerry Yang and David Filo
- **1998** — Backed X.com (Elon Musk's online payments company), which merged with Confinity to become PayPal; served on board through IPO
- **1999** — Led Sequoia's $12.5 million investment in Google at a $100 million valuation alongside Kleiner Perkins; Google IPO'd in 2004 at $23 billion valuation
- **2005** — Early investment in YouTube; acquired by Google for $1.65 billion in 2006
- **2006** — Ranked #1 on Forbes Midas List of top technology dealmakers; diagnosed with a rare, incurable blood cancer
- **2007** — Ranked #1 on Forbes Midas List for second consecutive year
- **2008** — Donated $50 million to Christ Church, Oxford
- **2009** — Published 'Return to the Little Kingdom: How Apple and Steve Jobs Changed the World'
- **2010** — Co-founded Sequoia Heritage; wrote Klarna's first check at Sequoia, becoming chairman
- **2012** — Stepped back from day-to-day Sequoia management due to health; donated £75 million to Oxford University (then largest gift to European undergraduate university)
- **2013** — Knighted as KBE in Queen Elizabeth II's Birthday Honours for services promoting British economic interests
- **2015** — Co-authored 'Leading: Learning from Life and My Years at Manchester United' with Sir Alex Ferguson
- **2016** — Received Carnegie Corporation Great Immigrants Award
- **2021** — Co-founded San Francisco Standard, a local digital news publication
- **2023** — Formally departed Sequoia Capital after nearly 38 years
- **2024** — Klarna board controversy: newly appointed Sequoia partner attempted to oust Moritz; Sequoia apologized and Moritz retained chairmanship
- **2025** — Published memoir 'Ausländer' (Simon & Schuster/Granta); committed £150 million to the National Gallery London
- **2026** — Announced application for German citizenship, citing growing antisemitism in Britain; the son and grandson of Nazi refugees applying for a German passport

## Achievements

- #1 Forbes Midas List 2006 and 2007 (two consecutive years)
- Led Sequoia's $12.5 million investment in Google at a $100 million valuation
- Led Sequoia's founding $1 million investment in Yahoo
- Knighted as KBE in 2013 for services promoting British economic interests
- Wrote the first published history of Apple Computer (1984)
- Co-authored leadership book with Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester United)
- Co-founded Sequoia Heritage, growing it to $15 billion AUM
- Donated £75 million to Oxford University - then the largest gift to a European undergraduate university in history
- Nearly 38 years at Sequoia Capital, one of the longest tenures in VC history
- Signatory of the Giving Pledge (2012), committing to donate 50%+ of wealth
- Co-founded San Francisco Standard digital news publication (2021)
- Committed £150 million to the National Gallery London (2025)

## Latest updates

- **2026-03** — Told the BBC that Britain is an uncomfortable place for Jews today and announced application for German citizenship, citing growing antisemitism and right-wing populism
- **2025-06** — Committed £150 million through his Crankstart Foundation to the National Gallery London for a major extension - one of the largest gifts in British museum history
- **2025-01** — Published memoir 'Ausländer' (Simon & Schuster / Granta), a personal history of his family's Jewish heritage and escape from Nazi Germany; The Times compared it to 'The Hare with Amber Eyes'
- **2024-01** — Klarna board controversy: newly appointed Sequoia partner Matt Miller clashed with Moritz and reportedly pushed for his removal; Sequoia apologized and Moritz retained his chairmanship
- **2023-07** — Formally departed Sequoia Capital after nearly 38 years, one of the longest tenures in venture capital history

## Links

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelmoritz/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/michaelmoritz

---

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