Robert F. Smith
Austin, Texas
Bachelor of Arts/Science, Cornell University | Master of Business Administration, Columbia University
United States
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private equity, Self Made
$5,000,000,000
355
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#355 Billionaires 2019
#163 Forbes 400 2018
Robert F. Smith founded private equity firm Vista Equity Partners in 2000. It focuses exclusively on investing in software companies. With over $46 billion in assets, Vista is one of the best-performing private equity firms, posting annualized returns of 22% since inception. As a college student, Smith secured an internship at Bell Labs after calling the company every week for five months. An engineer by training, he worked at Kraft Foods and Goodyear Tire before getting his MBA at Columbia University. A Cornell grad, Smith pledged $50 million (personally and through a foundation) to the university in 2016.
Smith is the first African-American to sign the Giving Pledge, a commitment to contribute the majority of his wealth to philanthropic causes. He gave $20 million to the National Museum of African American History in 2016.
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