Date of Birth: September 10, 1948
Zodiac Sign: Virgo
Biography
Charles Simonyi, born in Budapest, Hungary, is a renowned computer scientist and businessman best known for his contributions to software development and his role at Microsoft. He immigrated to the United States in 1968, where he pursued a degree in engineering mathematics from the University of California, Berkeley, and later earned a Ph.D. in computer science from Stanford University. Simonyi began his career at Xerox PARC, where he worked on one of the first personal computers, the Alto. In 1981, he joined Microsoft and became a key figure in the development of some of the company’s flagship products, including Microsoft Word and Excel. He is credited with inventing the concept of “intentional programming,” which aims to improve software development by making code more understandable and modifiable. In 2002, Simonyi founded Intentional Software, focusing on developing software to simplify the complexity of programming. The company was acquired by Microsoft in 2017. Beyond his professional achievements, Simonyi is also known for his philanthropic efforts and his passion for space travel. He became the fifth space tourist when he flew to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2007 and again in 2009.
5 Interesting Facts about Charles Simonyi
1. Charles Simonyi was one of the early employees at Microsoft, joining the company in 1981.
2. He has flown to space twice as a space tourist, making him one of the few people to have visited space more than once.
3. Simonyi donated $25 million to the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey.
4. He is married to Lisa Persdotter, a Swedish socialite, and they have two children.
5. He developed the Hungarian notation, a naming convention for variables in programming.
5 Most Interesting Quotes from Charles Simonyi
1. “Programmers are not to replace the human brain, but to expand the human brain’s capabilities.”
2. “The most important property of a program is whether it accomplishes the intention of its user.”
3. “Space travel is the only way to make the human race immortal.”
4. “To me, the most exciting thing is the idea that software can be intentional.”
5. “I think philanthropy is the way to go for those who have been fortunate in their lives.”
Highest Net Worth Achieved
At his peak, Charles Simonyi’s net worth was estimated to be around $3.7 billion.
Children
Charles Simonyi and his wife Lisa Persdotter have two children together.
Relevant Links
1. [Charles Simonyi – Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Simonyi
2. [Charles Simonyi’s profile on Forbes](https://www.forbes.com/profile/charles-simonyi/
4. [Institute for Advanced Study – Donor Profile](https://www.ias.edu/support/donors/simonyi
