Moore and Robert Noyce founded Intel in 1968.
Mar 24, 2023 11:12pm ET
• 3 minutes reading time
Gordon Moore, the co-founder and former chairman of tech giant Intel, died on Friday at the age of 94, the company and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation said.
A press release said Moore died “surrounded by his family” in Hawaii.
Moore and Robert Noyce founded Intel in 1968. Moore initially served as executive vice president before becoming president in 1975. In 1979, Moore was appointed chairman and chief executive officer, positions he held until 1987, when he resigned as CEO and continued as chairman.
Moore became Intel chairman emeritus in 1997 and resigned in 2006.
“Those of us who have met and worked with Gordon will forever be inspired by his wisdom, humility and generosity,” Foundation President Harvey Fineberg said in a statement. “Although he never aspired to become a household name, Gordon’s vision and life’s work enabled the phenomenal innovations and technological developments that shape our daily lives. But these historic achievements are only part of his legacy.”
Pat Gelsinger, Intel CEO said, “Gordon Moore defined the technology industry through his insight and vision. He was instrumental in unveiling the power of transistors and has inspired technologists and entrepreneurs for decades.”
Prior to founding Intel, Moore and Noyce helped found Fairchild Semiconductor, where they played a central role in the initial commercial production of diffused silicon transistors and later the world’s first commercially viable integrated circuits.
“The world has lost a giant in Gordon Moore who was one of the founding fathers of Silicon Valley and a true visionary who helped pave the way for the technological revolution,” tweeted Apple CEO Tim Cook. “All of us who followed him owe him a debt of gratitude. Rest in peace.”
He co-founded the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation with his 72-year-old wife, Betty Irene Whitaker, which the foundation says has given more than $5.1 billion to charities since its inception in 2000.
Moore received the 1990 National Medal of Technology from President George HW Bush and the 2002 Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush.
In addition to his wife, Moore is survived by his sons, Kenneth and Steven, and four grandchildren.