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Starting with $1,100 in 1969, Jack Dangermond built Esri into a $1.5 billion private company whose ArcGIS platform now serves 350,000 organizations — governments, militaries, and utilities — without ever taking outside investment across 55 years.
Jack Dangermond founded Esri in 1969 with his wife Laura and $1,100 and still leads the company as President.
The privately held GIS software maker generates over $1.5 billion in annual revenue and serves more than 350,000 organizations worldwide; its ArcGIS platform is used by governments, militaries, utilities, and conservation groups. Dangermond has donated hundreds of millions to conservation, including funding the Dangermond Preserve in California.
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