There’s plenty of information on the fortunes of the various entries in our OC’s Wealthiest Special Report, which starts on page 31. Here are some additional insights from the business persons pictured.
“The market landscape has turned negative. The big platform players just take people out.”
—Quest Software Inc. chief executive Vincent “Vinny” Smith on speculation about the company’s takeover in 2005.
“A well-rounded education that prepares students to succeed and fully enjoy and appreciate life includes art, music and science.”
—Donald Bren, Irvine Company chairman on his support of educational charities.
“Not bad for a farm boy from Iowa, is it?”
—David Wilson, David Wilson Automotive Group chief executive on his dealerships posting more than $1 billion in sales in 2000.
“At that moment, it became my mission in life to find out how radios worked. By the time I received my Ph.D. in electrical engineering, I finally did understand it.”
—Henry Samueli, Broadcom Corp., cofounder and winner of the 2012 Marconi Society Prize on building a radio as a shop class project in seventh grade.
“I’m just trying to go as fast as I can go.”
—Duane Roberts, frozen foods magnate on his serial entrepreneurship.
“We started in the garage so we wouldn’t have to pay rent. We didn’t really get paychecks for a few years. That’s where we started.”
—Victor Tsao of Miven Venture Partners on origin of Linksys Group Inc., which he and wife Janie sold to Cisco Systems Inc. for $500 million in 2003.
“This validated my lifelong belief that adversity creates opportunity.”
—Ron Simon, RSI Holding Co. chairman on how a business plan rejected by others led to his founding RSI Home Products in 1989.
“Stamp collecting has been such a rewarding and educational hobby for me that I wanted to share the joys of philately in a way that would benefit future generations of students, citizens and scholars.”
—Pacific Investment Management Co. cofounder William Gross on donating a record $8 million to the National Postal Museum in 2009.
