Gabe Newell

Date of Birth: November 3, 1962

Zodiac Sign: Scorpio

Biography

Gabe Logan Newell, often known as Gaben, is an American businessman and the co-founder and managing director of the video game development and digital distribution company Valve Corporation. Born in Seattle, Washington, Newell attended Harvard University but dropped out to join Microsoft in 1983. During his time at Microsoft, he worked on the early versions of the Windows operating system. In 1996, Newell and his colleague Mike Harrington left Microsoft to found Valve. The company’s debut product, *Half-Life*, was released in 1998 and became a major success, revolutionizing the first-person shooter genre. Valve continued to innovate with the launch of the Steam platform in 2003, which has become the largest digital distribution platform for PC gaming. Under Newell’s leadership, Valve has produced other critically acclaimed games such as *Portal*, *Team Fortress 2*, and *Dota 2*.

5 Interesting Facts about Gabe Newell

1. Gabe Newell worked at Microsoft for 13 years and contributed to the first three releases of the Windows operating system.

2. Newell is known for his philanthropic efforts, particularly in the areas of healthcare and education.

3. He is a self-proclaimed fan of Apple products and has credited Steve Jobs as one of his inspirations.

4. Newell’s net worth peaked in the billions, largely due to the success of Valve and the Steam platform.

5. He has a keen interest in virtual reality and has been a significant advocate for the technology through Valve’s development of the HTC Vive.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Gabe Newell

1. “The easiest way to stop piracy is not by putting antipiracy technology to work. It’s by giving those people a service that’s better than what they’re receiving from the pirates.”

2. “I think that Windows 8 is a catastrophe for everyone in the PC space.”

3. “We think of ourselves as a manufacturing company, and the product we manufacture is entertainment experiences.”

4. “One of the things that’s been really useful to Valve is to think of ourselves as a group of people who are trying to create as much value as we can.”

5. “The biggest threat is people not understanding the value of what you’re doing and not giving you the time you need to get it right.”