Table of Biography
Early Life
Mike Markkula was born on the 11th of February 1942, in Los Angeles, California, the United States of America. He is currently 81 years old and has a zodiac sign of Aquarius. In addition, he holds American nationality and his birth name is Armas Clifford Markkula Jr. Mike Markkula’s first name is Armas, and his last name is Markkula, which are both traditional Finnish names. His given name Armas means “dear” or “beloved” in Finnish.
He was born to his parents Armas Clifford Markkula, Sr. (father) and Katherine Rose Markkula (mother). During his childhood, he developed an interest in electronics and technology.
Regarding his academic career, he earned Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Southern California.
Professional Career
After completing his graduation, Mike Markkula worked as a marketing manager for Fairchild Semiconductor and Intel. While there, he acquired some stock options that earned him millions, allowing him to retire at the age of 32.
Apple
Markkula came out of retirement to invest in Apple after being convinced by Steve Jobs to support the Apple II’s production. Through Don Valentine, a venture capitalist, and Regis McKenna, Jobs first got to know Markkula. He decided to invest US $250,000 ($170,000 in the form of a loan and $80,000 in the form of an equity investment), believing in Jobs’ ability to run a company.
He became a third owner and Apple’s third employer due to his financial support. Moreover, he helped the business acquire credit and venture capital as well. As a result, Michael Scott was appointed as the company’s first CEO. Markulla served as Apple’s second CEO from 1981 to 1983 and as chairman from 1985 to 1997.
Caption: Mike Markkula providing a cheque to Steve Jobs (Source: Steve Jobs)
During this time, he gave Jef Raskin the go-ahead to begin implementing his 1979 plan to design what would become the Macintosh. He also assisted the company in obtaining incorporation status.
Markkula, as a trained engineer, possessed some technical abilities that enabled him to write several early Apple II programs and test the beta for Apple hardware and software. Markkula created one of the first three Apple III programs.
Apple III, on the other hand, was a flop. After leaving Apple in 1985, Jobs returned as interim CEO in 1996. That year, Markkula left the company.
After leaving Apple
Markkula joined Echelon Corporation after leaving Apple, and he has also worked at ACM Aviation, San Jose Jet Center, and Rana Creek Habitat Restoration. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University. Moreover, he did, however, invest in Crowd Technologies. He created Piggie, a web application that uses the wisdom of crowds to predict stock market movements, and he is also an investor in LiveCode Ltd. in Scotland.
Awards
While Markkula is highly regarded for his contributions to Apple Inc., there is limited information available regarding specific awards he has received. However, his achievements and impact on the technology industry have been widely recognized.
Net Worth 2024
Markkula is a well-known American entrepreneur best known as an angel investor and the second CEO of Apple Computer, Inc. His net worth is $1.2 billion as of this writing. He provided the funds that enabled Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak to form a company and mass-produce the Apple II computer. Apple is now worth more than $2.5 trillion.
Relationship Status
Mike Markkula is happily married to his wife Linda. Apart from this, there is not much known about their exact marriage date, when they met each other, their kids, and many others. Markkula is also a philanthropist. Moreover, he makes a lot of philanthropic donations.
Caption: Mike Markkula with his wife (Source: Fogarty Innovation)
The husband and wife have donated millions of dollars to charity over the years. One of its many benefactors is Santa Clara University. The couple is also the proud owners of Rana Creek Ranch, a sprawling 14,000-square-foot ranch in Carmel Valley, California. The $60 million property includes a main house, several guest houses, a working cattle ranch, a riding arena, a private lake, a helipad, and a 3,000-foot landing strip.
Body Measurements
Markkula stands 5 feet 10 inches tall (178 cm) and weighs around 74 kg (163 lbs). Moreover, he has grey hair with brown eyes color while his other body measurements are still unknown.
Social Media
This businessman is quite private about his personal life, so he is not active on social media sites such as Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.