Arthur Rock, MBA 1951

Arthur Rock, HBS 1951, was one of America’s first venture capitalists. He played a key role in launching Fairchild Semiconductor, Teledyne, Intel, Apple, and many other high-tech companies. He was a visionary who saw very early on the future of the computer industry and, in many ways, was a driving force in the emergence of Silicon Valley as a center of innovation and entrepreneurship. Following an early career on Wall Street in investment banking, Arthur started his first venture capital partnership with Tommy Davis ten years after graduating from HBS. Between 1961 and 1968, Davis & Rock invested $3 million and returned $100 million to their investors. Arthur shared his experiences as a venture capitalist and his insights into successful entrepreneurship during a video interview at his San Francisco office in March 2001. Interviewer: Amy Blitz, HBS Director of Media Development for Entrepreneurial Management.