Vinod Khosla is a prominent figure in Silicon Valley, known for overcoming numerous setbacks on his path to success. Born as the son of an army officer, he encountered several failures early in his career. His initial venture never materialised, and his second business closed within a year. Despite these challenges, Khosla, drawing inspiration from Intel’s immigrant founder, persevered without wavering.

Vinod Khosla, born on January 28, 1955, is an Indian-American billionaire entrepreneur and venture capitalist. He co-founded Sun Microsystems and established Khosla Ventures. Khosla amassed his fortune through early investments in networking, software and alternative energy sectors. He is widely recognised as one of the most accomplished and impactful figures in venture capital.

Vinod Khosla’s Education

Vinod Khosla was raised in an ordinary Indian household without any ties to business or technology. His fascination with starting a technology company began at 16 when he read about Intel’s founding in Electronic Engineering Times. After earning a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from IIT Delhi, he pursued a master’s in biomedical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University in the United States. Driven by his entrepreneurial ambitions, Khosla moved to Silicon Valley, where he completed an MBA at Stanford University in 1980.

Vinod Khosla’s Career And Businesses

After completing his MBA at Stanford, Vinod devised a new business strategy for an electronic design automation company. He also networked with Intel employees and launched Daisy Systems, serving as its founder and full-time CEO. The company specialised in custom computer hardware alongside its software, but it folded due to economic challenges.

In 1982, Khosla co-founded Sun Microsystems with Scott McNealy and Andy Bechtolsheim, later joined by Bill Joy, a computer science graduate student from UC Berkeley. Sun initially focused on selling servers to universities and other academic institutions, alongside desktop computers and Java software.

Khosla began his venture capital investments at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, and within five years, Sun Microsystems achieved USD 1 billion in revenue. Notable figures such as Eric Schmidt and Carol Bartz were also recruited during the company’s early growth phase.

In 2018, Vinod Khosla outlined his lifelong goal to revolutionise societal infrastructure using innovation and technology. He envisioned advancements like 3D-printed houses to address homelessness and argued that significant transformations are necessary for billions in China and India to achieve a Western standard of living.

Currently, Khosla Ventures oversees around USD 15 billion in investment capital, including funds personally contributed by Vinod Khosla himself.

Vinod Khosla’s Net Worth

Vinod Khosla was listed among the top 400 wealthiest individuals in the United States by Forbes in 2014, and by 2021, he had risen to 92nd place on this prestigious list. Currently, Forbes estimates Khosla’s net worth at USD 7.6 billion (760 crore), placing him at 551st on the global list of the richest people.  He lives in a lavish house encompassing 53 acres, which he purchased for USD 37 million. 

Vinod Khosla’s Family

He is married to Neeru Khosla, whom he has known since childhood. Together, they have four children.