Irvine-based non-profit Fuel Freedom Foundation received a $1 million donation from Vincent “Vinny” Smith, former chief executive of Aliso Viejo-based Quest Software Inc.
Smith oversaw the July sale of Quest to Dell Inc. for $2.4 billion. Quest is among Orange County’s largest software makers, with about $857 million in sales last year. It employs about 600 individuals here and about 3,900 companywide.
Smith owned about a third of Quest at the time of its sale.
Fuel Freedom is aimed at developing “cheaper, cleaner, American-made replacement fuels by removing barriers to fuel competition,” according to the organization. It was founded earlier this year by Quest cofounder Eyal Aronoff and Joseph “Yossie” Hollander, chairman and founder of Washington D.C.-based non-profit Our Energy Policy Foundation.
Smith’s donation came in two installments of $500,000 through the Orange County Community Foundation.
