Jerry Yang is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Yahoo!. In 1994 Yang and David Filo created the site that would become Yahoo! while doctoral students in Stanford University's Electrical Engineering program. Neither of them ever finished their degree. Yang's net worth as of 2008 is $2.3 billion. On November 17, 2008, Yang announced that he will be stepping down from his CEO position at Yahoo! following the appointment of a new CEO .Yahoo! Press Release: Co-Founder Jerry Yang to Step Down Following Appointment of New CEO (November 17, 2008)
On January 13, 2009, the Wall Street Journal reported that Carol Bartz, former chief executive of Autodesk, has accepted an offer for the position. The report has not yet been confirmed.The Wall Street Journal: Yahoo to Name Bartz as CEO (January 13, 2009)
Key Dates
- 1990: Graduates from Stanford University with Bachelor's and Master's in Electrical Engineering
- 1992: Meets future wife Akiko Yamazaki at overseas program in Kyoto
- April, 1994: With David Filo, creates website called "Jerry's Guide to the World Wide Web"
- April, 1995: Renames site Yahoo!
- April, 1996: Yahoo! goes public
- 1998: Made Director of Ziff-Davis, Inc.
- July, 2000: Made Director of Cisco Systems
- June 18, 2007: Named CEO of Yahoo!
- August 1, 2008: Re-elected as CEO during annual meeting
- November 17, 2008: Steps down as CEO of Yahoo!
Professional Profile
Jerry Yang co-founded the Internet search engine Yahoo! with David Filo in 1994, and at first called the site "Jerry's Guide to the World Wide Web." The site earned its one millionth hit in the fall of 1994, and in 1995, the pair secured $2 million in venture capital funding through Sequoia Capital. By 1996, the site went public in a highly successful IPO. Yang serves on the Board of Directors of Cisco Systems and Alibaba, and is a Stanford University trustee. In June, 2007, after the resignation of Yahoo! CEO Terry Semel, Yang was named CEO of the company he helped co-found thirteen years before.
Re-Elected
After a tumultuous 2007-2008, in which Yahoo! fended off a takeover bid by Microsoft and a proxy fight for control of the board with investor Carl Icahn, Yang was re-elected as CEO at the company's annual investors meeting in San Jose, California on August 1, 2008.Bloomberg: Yahoo Holders Re-Elect Board; Yang Gets 85% of Votes (August 1, 2008)
Yang on the way out
A rumor made the Internet rounds on November 5, 2008 purporting to be an internal Yahoo! memo which stated that "Yang has agreed to leave his post effective today and that Yahoo is again in late-stage talks to sell the whole company to Microsoft."VentureBeat: Rumor: Internal Yahoo memo... (November 5, 2008) Yahoo subsequently "vehemently" denied the rumor, and Microsoft also says the rumor is false. Boomtown: Yahoo rumors... (November 5, 2008) On November 17, 2008, Yahoo! announced that Yang would be stepping down from his role as CEO.Yahoo! Press Release: Co-Founder Jerry Yang to Step Down Following Appointment of New CEO (November 17, 2008)
Jerry Yang Criticism and Controversy
- Official Yahoo Search Blog Comment: Some Constructive Criticism
Jerry Yang Timeline
April 1994: Co-created the Yahoo! Internet navigational guide
April 1995: Co-founded Yahoo! Inc. with David Filo
June 2007: Became Yahoo! CEO
Jerry Yang Satire and Humor
- Yahoo Video: Jerry Yang and David Filo Sumo Wrestle for the Earth (Time 2:26)
References
Fast Facts
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Born
November 6, 1968
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Birthplace
Taipei, Taiwan
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Company
Yahoo!
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Alma-mater
Stanford University, B.S., M.S.
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Net Worth (2008)
$2.3 billion
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Occupation
Chief Executive Officer, Yahoo!
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Residence
Los Altos, California
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Spouse
Akiko Yamazaki
