Gabe Newell Biography & Net Worth

Gabe Newell Biography & Net Worth

Gabe Newell is an American businessman and computer programmer, best known for being one of the founders of ‘Valve Corporation.’ He is one of the key people in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced graphics in gaming. He quit his studies at Harvard University midway to take up a job with ‘Microsoft’ on the insistence of Steve Ballmer, the then head of sales at the company. He worked with Microsoft for 13 years, and produced the versions 1.01, 1.02, and 1.03 of the Windows operating system. However, he always had his dream to establish his own software company. He combined with Mike Harrington and created ‘Valve Corporation’, and jointly funded the creation of the video games ‘GoldSrc’ and ‘Half-Life’ for ‘Microsoft Windows.’ He also developed ‘Steam’, a digital distribution platform that offers digital rights management, gaming, video streaming, and social networking. As of 2009, ‘Steam’ owned more than 70% of the digital circulation market for video gaming. It also had more than 200 million users by the end of 2017. ‘Valve’ created the ‘HTC Vive’ virtual-reality headset which is a major rival of ‘Apple’s ‘App Store’ on ‘Mac.’ Gabe Newell net worth of over $5 billion makes him eligible for inclusion in Forbes list of the 100 wealthiest businessmen in the United States.  Currently, he serves as the managing director for game development at Valve Corporation.

Gabe Newell’s Early Life

Gabe Logan Newell was born in Seattle, Washington, United States, on November 3, 1962. As he grew older, he found solving puzzles interesting, and it developed into an enthusiasm for information Technology and computer games.

From 1980 to 1983, he studied at Harvard University. He dropped out without completing his studies in order to take up a position at the Microsoft Company. In his statement, he learned so much more in just three month at Microsoft than he could ever learn at Harvard University. He had always nursed the idea of creating his own path to success and becoming an entrepreneur, so it wasn’t difficult for him to succeed with anything he does or anywhere he found himself.

Gabe Newell‘s Career

Dropping out from Harvard, Gabe joined IT giants Microsoft as a computer programmer in 1983, and served the company for a long thirteen years. He worked closely with Bill Gates, his employer, who also dropped out of Harvard University to establish his software empire. Gabe Newell was responsible for the production of versions 1.01, 1.02, and 1.03 of the windows operating system. He held several important portfolios while with Microsoft, majorly in the program management and operating systems field. He was highly influential in the introduction of ‘Windows NT’. While with the Microsoft Company, he traveled extensively and visited several software companies to improve himself and obtain practical knowledge of how the computer industry functioned.

Newell and a co-worker Mike Harrington left their jobs at ‘Microsoft,’ as Millionaires, and went on to establish their own venture, ‘Valve Corporation,’ in 1996. They jointly funded the creation of the video games ‘GoldSrc’ and ‘Half-Life’ for ‘Microsoft Windows.’ He is one of the pioneers in the fields of AI and advanced graphics in gaming.

Gabe’s next significant venture was the development of developed ‘Steam’, a digital distribution store that offers digital rights management, gaming, video streaming, and social networking. AT present, Steam has more than 200 million users and distributes more than 1500 games. The most popular video games on the platform are ‘DOTA 2’ and ‘Team Fortress 2’.  In 2009, ‘Steam’ secured more than 70% of the digital circulation market for video gaming. Gabe Newell also developed educational software that is used in schools to teach math, physics, and chemistry in a more interesting manner, and called it ‘Steam for Schools’. The software is very interactive with an aim to trigger young innovative minds.

Gabe Newell played a significant role in the development of PlayStation 3 for Sony.  Valve Corporation also developed ‘Portal 2,’ a first-person puzzle video game platform. Valve also created the ‘HTC Vive’ virtual-reality headset which is a major rival of ‘Apple’s ‘App Store’ on ‘Mac.’ At present, he serves Valve Corporation as the managing director (MD) of game development, with emphasis on technology than game designing.

Awards & Achievements

In December 2010, Forbes featured him as ‘A Name You Should Know’ for his contribution in creating ‘Steam’ with multiple developers. Three years later, he received a ‘BAFTA Fellowship Award’ in recognition of his inputs in the video-game industry. His fortune got him included on the 100 wealthiest businessmen of the United States list by Forbes in October 2017. He is most remarkably honored for his contribution to the world of technology and computing, by developing the earlier versions of the Windows operating systems, as well as co-founding companies such as Valve and Steam.

Personal Life & Family

In 1996, Gabe tied the knot with the woman he loved. Her name is Lisa Mennet. The couple went on to enjoy a peaceful and happy marriage which produced two sons. They are still united and living as one family to date. Although this businessman is not a very open person, he is known spare a lot of time to spend close moments with his family. He lives with his wife and sons in Long Beach, Washington.

Gabe Newell suffered from ‘Fuchs’ dystrophy,’ a disease that affects the cornea. He recovered from the condition by 2007, after undergoing two cornea transplants. This did not cause problems for business or professional work in any way. He is quite fond of playing video games; of which ‘Doom’ and ‘Super Mario 64’ are his favorites. He is also an avid follower of the animated show ‘My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic.’ He is highly interactive and approachable in nature, with a reasonable sense of humor, and this has been the key to his triumph in gauging the challenges that gamers expect.

Gabe Newell Net Worth 2020

Gabe Newell net worth is $5.5 billion according to multiple reports. He is a successful businessman whose involvement in the information technology and video game development fields has paid off greatly. Gabe is best known for his association with the video game development and online distribution company Valve Corporation, of which he is a co-founder and currently managing. A professional computer programmer, this man has been recognized and appreciated for all his works and contributions to the word of information technology and gaming systems.