Scott McNealy

Scott McNealy Photo

Scott McNealy is a businessman who founded Sun Microsystems in 1982. His company went public in the 80s and became one of the most successful IT companies with its JAVA software and open network systems.

McNealy was born on 13th November 1954 in Columbus, Indiana. He got his schooling from Cranbrook School where he was classmates with the Republican nominee for president, Mitt Romney. McNealy was an average student however he surprised everyone with a score of 800 in his SATs. After that he decided to pursue studies more seriously and applied to Harvard business school. From there he got a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics. His plan was to follow his father’s footsteps and build a business in manufacturing after graduation however fate had other plans. He went to West Coast and applied to the Stanford Graduate School of Business where graduated with a Master’s in Business Administration in 1980. He tried his hands in various manufacturing jobs as was his plan but nothing really got his interest.

The next year, 1981, McNealy was asked to manage the manufacturing department of a computer company by a mentor from Harvard. During the following year while he was still learning the basics of the business a friend from business school offered him to take control of a new IT company which he was planning to set up. The duo founded Sun Microsystems in 1982. In 1984 McNealy had to take the position of CEO temporarily after the former CEO left. However after going through several candidates for the job the board came to the decision that none of them beat McNealy.

Sun Microsystems went public in 1986 and in two years’ time it reached sales of 1 billion dollars. In 1995 the company was ranked among the 100 best managed companies. Scott McNealy’s style of management was somewhat aggressive and was alleviated with very successful management techniques. He kept the staff entertained and motivated by some kind of entertainment such as water fights, Aprils Fool pranks, from time to time. McNealy promoted the company’s JAVA software very successfully. In 2006 he left his position of CEO after 22 years becoming one of the few to have kept the post for more than 20 years. He maintains a casual and laid-back work environment but the fact that McNealy is a fierce competitor keeps his workers serious and driven when it comes to business.

Under Scott McNealy’s management the company expanded beyond wireless servers, e-business software and storage products. In 2000 they launched iPlanet which is a software designed to promote commerce on the web. The Silicon Valley maverick earned his fortune by dedication and hard work. His entrepreneurial skills and hard-charging management paid off. He normally works 80 hours a week. He believes in ‘having lunch or be lunch’. His net worth is estimated to be approximately $500 million.

McNealy is married and has four sons. He loves ice hockey and golf and is the commissioner of the Alternative Golf Association. He calls himself a libertarian. He supported Mitt Romney’s campaign both financially and vocally.