Don Valentine
Founder of Sequoia Capital, an early investor in Apple and Atari
- Lived
- 87 yrs
- 1932 – 2019
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Don Valentine was an American venture capitalist who founded Sequoia Capital in 1972, one of the most successful venture firms in history. He backed Atari, Apple, Oracle, Cisco and Electronic Arts. He died in 2019.
Biography
Background
Valentine grew up in New York, studied chemistry at Fordham University and came to California during army service.
Chip salesman
He was a top salesman at Fairchild Semiconductor and then at National Semiconductor.
Sequoia
He founded Sequoia Capital in 1972. He invested in Atari, and through Nolan Bushnell met Steve Jobs, introducing him to Mike Markkula, who funded Apple. Sequoia later backed Oracle, Cisco and Electronic Arts.
Legacy
He handed over to Michael Moritz and Doug Leone. Sequoia went on to back Google, YouTube and WhatsApp. He died in October 2019.
Timeline
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1932
Born in New York City, United States
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1959
Joins Fairchild Semiconductor
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1967
Joins National Semiconductor
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1972
Founds Sequoia Capital
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1975
Invests in Atari
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1978
Invests in Apple
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1987
Invests in Cisco
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2019
Dies
-
2019
Died, aged 87
Did you know?
-
1
He was known for asking founders blunt questions.
-
2
He said he preferred to invest in big markets.
-
3
Sequoia is named after the giant redwood trees.
Connections
Frequently asked
Who is Don Valentine?
Don Valentine was an American venture capitalist who founded Sequoia Capital in 1972, one of the most successful venture firms in history. He backed Atari, Apple, Oracle, Cisco and Electronic Arts. He died in 2019.
When did Don Valentine die?
Don Valentine died on 25 October 2019 at the age of 87.
Where is Don Valentine from?
Don Valentine was born in New York City, United States.
What is Don Valentine known for?
Don Valentine is best known for Founding Sequoia Capital (1972); early investments in Atari, Apple, Oracle and Cisco.
References
- Don Valentine — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Don Valentine (Q5293639) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Don Valentine”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more
External links
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editorial team; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal under our editorial policy
- First published 4 November 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Don Valentine.” TrackFame, last updated 4 November 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/don-valentine
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