Rob Glaser | |
|---|---|
| Born | Robert Denis Glaser[1] January 16, 1962 (1962-01-16) (age 63) |
| Alma mater | Yale University (BS,MA) |
| Occupation(s) | business executive - founder and CEO of RealNetworks |
| Spouse(s) | Sarah Block (second marriage, m. 2000)[1] [2] |
Robert Denis Glaser (born January 16, 1962) is the founder ofRealNetworks, which producesRealAudio,RealVideo,RealPlayer, andHelix, among other products and services. Before founding RealNetworks, he worked forMicrosoft for ten years.[3][1]
Glaser, while chief executive of RealNetworks, clashed repeatedly withTony Fadell, widely known as the Godfather of the iPhone and iPod, who then left the company after 6 weeks and went on to founding the products for Apple.[4]
In 1983, Glaser graduatedYale University with an BS degree in Computer Science and an MA in Economics.[5]
In 1984, Glaser began work at Microsoft.[3] In 1994, he foundedProgressive Networks which became RealNetworks in 1997.[6] Glaser served as CEO until 2010.[7][8]
Since June 2010, Glaser has been a partner at global venture firm,Accel Partners, focusing on digital media technology, social media, and mobile service investments.[9] He returned to RealNetworks again as interim CEO in 2012 and resumed the official title of CEO in 2014.[10][11] In 2020 Glaser invested $10 million of his own money into the company to support its move into facial recognition technology.[7]
On June 16, 2004, Glaser received the Music Visionary Award, along with EMI Vice Chairman David Munns, from the Music for Youth Foundation, and the United Jewish Appeal.[12]
Glaser was the 22nd largest individual donor to527 groups in the 2004 US election, donating over $2.2 million to pro-Democratic organizations.[13] He was the leading creditor toAir America Radio, loaning at least $9.8 million according to its bankruptcy filing.[14] In addition, along with economistJeffrey Sachs and public health expertJosh Ruxin, Glaser founded theAccess Project, an NGO dedicated to improving health care in Rwanda by increasing management capacity at health centers.[15] In 1999, Glaser established the Glaser Progress Foundation, "to build a more just, sustainable and humane world."[16] From 2011 to 2015, foundation assets have shrunk from $9 million to $5.7 million; annual grants have shrunk from $1.5 million to $267,000; overhead and expenses have grown slightly from $455,000 to $525,000.[17] In 2016, he set up a web site (PutinTrump.org) to monitor and report then-candidateDonald Trump's connections toVladimir Putin.[18]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)