Don Valentine

June 26, 1932 — Yonkers, New York

Donald Thomas Valentine was an American businessman and venture capitalist who founded Sequoia Capital in 1972 and became one of the most influential figures in Silicon Valley. Through Sequoia, Valentine backed some of the most consequential technology companies of the late twentieth century — including Apple, Atari, and Cisco — at critical early stages, helping to define the model of aggressive, high-conviction venture investing that has shaped the global technology industry. He is widely regarded as one of the fathers of Silicon Valley venture capital.

Early Career in Technology

Born on June 26, 1932, in Yonkers, New York, Valentine grew up modestly and attended Fordham University. He joined Fairchild Semiconductor in 1959, during the foundational years of the semiconductor industry, and later became national sales manager at National Semiconductor. His years in the semiconductor business gave him an unusually deep understanding of technology companies and markets — knowledge he would deploy as an investor. In 1972 he founded Sequoia Capital in Menlo Park, California, at the heart of what would become Silicon Valley.

Sequoia Capital and Key Investments

Valentine's approach to investing was direct and focused on market size — he was known for asking founders bluntly what problem they were solving and how large the market was. He made his first landmark investment in Atari in 1974, helping to launch the home video game industry. His investment in Apple in 1978 became one of the most profitable venture investments in history. He also backed Cisco Systems in 1987, which grew to become one of the world's most valuable companies. Under his leadership, Sequoia became one of the world's preeminent venture firms, a reputation it has sustained through decades of subsequent investments. Valentine continued to work at Sequoia until late in life and was known for his blunt, iconoclastic personality and his willingness to challenge founders.

Legacy

Don Valentine died on October 25, 2019. His legacy is embedded in the infrastructure of the technology industry: Sequoia Capital, the firm he founded, has backed companies worth trillions of dollars in aggregate market value. More broadly, his philosophy of patient, market-focused, high-conviction investing helped establish the norms of Silicon Valley venture capital. He demonstrated that a patient, disciplined investor with genuine technology knowledge could help shape entire industries, and the firm he built continues to do so decades after his death.