The cofounder of Intel, once the biggest semiconductor manufacturer in the world, and a pioneer in the microprocessor industry, Gordon Moore, passed away on Friday at the age of 94, according to Intel.
Moore played a significant role in the modern era’s technical advancements by assisting businesses in developing ever-more-powerful chips for ever-smaller computers.
He cofounded Intel in July 1968 as an engineer by training, ultimately holding the positions of president, chief executive, and chairman of the board.
Moore passed away “at his home in Hawaii, surrounded by family,” according to Santa Clara, California-based Intel.
Intel gained a reputation for constant innovation in its early years and went on to become one of the biggest and most significant businesses in the technology industry.
Moore first formulated the idea that would later be known as “Moore’s Law” in a 1965 article. It predicted that the power of integrated circuits would basically double each year. Later, he changed the rule so that it would double every two years.
For many years, the axiom was accurate and came to represent the modern world’s quick technological advancement.
“All I was trying to do was get that message across, that by putting more and more stuff on a chip we were going to make all electronics cheaper,” Moore said in a 2008 interview.
After earning his PhD from CalTech, Moore and a colleague in 1957 joined Fairchild Semiconductor Laboratory, one of the earliest firms to manufacture commercially viable transistors and integrated circuits.
As the business expanded, the foundations were laid for the peninsula of territory south of San Francisco to develop into Silicon Valley.
In 1968, Moore and his lifelong collaborator Robert Noyce went their separate ways, joined by Andy Grove, who would later lead Intel.
In 2006, Moore stepped down from Intel.
Through the foundation he established with his wife of 72 years, Betty, he contributed more than $5.1 billion to charitable endeavors over the course of his lifetime.
“Though he never aspired to be a household name, Gordon’s vision and his life’s work enabled the phenomenal innovation and technological developments that shape our everyday lives,” said Harvey Fineberg, president of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Leaders of Intel heaped tribute on Moore.
“He was instrumental in revealing the power of transistors, and inspired technologists and entrepreneurs across the decades,” said Intel chief executive Pat Gelsinger.
“He leaves behind a legacy that changed the lives of every person on the planet. His memory will live on,” Gelsinger added on Twitter.
