20 Facts About Michael Moritz

Sir Michael Jonathan Moritz was born on 12 September 1954 and is a Welsh billionaire venture capitalist, philanthropist, author, and former journalist.

Previously, Michael Moritz was a staff writer at Time magazine and a member of the board of directors of Google.

Michael Moritz studied at the University of Oxford and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and went on to found Technologic Partners before becoming a venture capitalist in the 1980s.

Michael Moritz was named as the No 1 venture capitalist on the Forbes Midas List in 2006 and 2007.

Michael Jonathan Moritz was born to a Jewish family in Cardiff, Wales, on 12 September 1954.

Michael Moritz's father, Ludwig Alfred Moritz, was a German Jew who fled Nazi Germany.

Michael Moritz earned a bachelor's degree in history at Christ Church, Oxford, and in 1978, an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania as a Thouron scholar.

Michael Moritz's research included a lengthy interview with Jobs' high school girlfriend, Chrisann Brennan, in which she discussed the history of their child, Lisa.

In 2009,25 years after The Little Kingdom, Michael Moritz published a revised and expanded follow-up: Return to the Little Kingdom: How Apple and Steve Jobs Changed the World.

In 2015, Michael Moritz collaborated with Alex Ferguson on his book, Leading: Learning from Life and My Years at Manchester United, which draws on Ferguson's experience as a football manager, and provides lessons on achieving business and life success.

In 1986, Michael Moritz joined Sequoia Capital after co-authoring Going for Broke: The Chrysler Story with Barrett Seaman, Times Detroit bureau chief.

Michael Moritz ranked number two on the Midas List for 2008 and 2009.

In July 2010, Michael Moritz was awarded an honorary fellowship from Cardiff University, where his father Alfred had previously been Vice-Principal and Professor of Classics.

In November 2014, Michael Moritz was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

Michael Moritz was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2013 Birthday Honours for services to promoting British economic interests and philanthropic work.

Michael Moritz donated to the Lincoln Project, a Republican-led super PAC opposing the re-election of Donald Trump and Republican Senators who supported him.

In May 2012, Michael Moritz announced that he had been diagnosed with a rare, incurable medical condition and would step back from his day-to-day responsibilities at Sequoia Capital while being elevated to the position of chairman.

In October 2016, The Guardian reported that Michael Moritz "donated $49,999 to a divisive ballot measure intended to clear San Francisco's streets of homeless encampments, according to campaign filings".

Michael Moritz later wrote an Op-Ed for the Wall Street Journal opposing a homelessness funding measure.

In May 2018, Michael Moritz donated $20 million to the American Civil Liberties Union, the largest donation the organization has received.