Moore and Robert Noyce founded Intel in 1968.
Gordon Moore, the co-founder and former chairman of tech giant Intel, died Friday at the age of 94, the company and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation announced.
A press release said Moore died “surrounded by family” in Hawaii.
Moore and Robert Noyce founded Intel in 1968. Moore first served as executive vice president until 1975, when he became president. In 1979, Moore was named chairman of the board and chief executive officer, positions he held until 1987, when he stepped down as CEO and continued as chairman.
Moore became chairman emeritus of Intel in 1997, stepping down in 2006.
“Those of us who met and worked with Gordon will be forever 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 his life’s work enabled remarkable innovation and technological advances that shape our daily lives . But those historic achievements are only part of his legacy.”
Pat Gelsinger, Intel’s CEO, said, “Gordon Moore defined the technology industry with his vision and vision. He was instrumental in revealing the power of transistors, and has inspired technologists and entrepreneurs for decades. .”
Before founding Intel, Moore and Noyce were involved in founding Fairchild Semiconductor, where they played key roles 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, one of the founding fathers of Silicon Valley and a true visionary who helped pave the way for a technological revolution,” tweeted Apple CEO Tim Cook. “All of us who followed him owe him a debt of gratitude. May he rest in peace.”
With his wife of 72 years, Betty Irene Whitaker, he founded the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, which has donated more than $5.1 billion to charities since its founding in 2000, according to the foundation.
Moore received the National Medal of Technology from President George HW Bush in 1990, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush in 2002.
In addition to his wife, Moore is survived by his sons, Kenneth and Steven, and four grandchildren.
