Bob Parsons

Country:	USA
Email:	president [at] godaddy.com
Website:	[bobparsons.me bobparsons.me]
Twitter:	@DRBOBPARSONS

Bob Parsons is the Founder and CEO of GoDaddy Group Inc, an ICANN accredited domain name registrar based in Arizona. He owns 78% share of the company and he is considered one of the wealthiest man in the United States with a reported net worth of $1.5 billion dollars and ranked 293rd in the 2011 Forbes 400 Rich List. Parsons s also described by his colleagues in the domain name industry as a risk taker by hiring Candice Michelle, a porn star to become Go Daddy's endorser in its first Superbowl commercial in 2005. The company became more popular and Parsons was recognized as a marketing genius.

In 2011, Parsons entered a partnership agreement with technology investment firms KKR, Silver Lake and Technology Crossover Ventures selling more than one half of the company's share for $2.25 billion. Parsons explained that under the agreement he will serve as Executive Chairman and remains the largest single shared holder in the company. In addition, 36 employees will receive $1 million plus checks.

In the company's press release, Parson's was quoted, "People have asked me, with all the success Go Daddy is having, why bring in partners now? My response is simple. This is the right group of people at just the right time.These three firms have what it takes to help lift Go Daddy to the next level. KKR, Silver Lake and TCV each have a keen sense for technology and a proven savvy with international business affairs. We know our new partners can help Go Daddy expand in ways that make sense for both our customers and our company. That's why I have insisted on continuing as Go Daddy's single largest shareholder."

Bob has a weekly satellite radio talk show, "Life Online" and maintains a personal blog.

Education

• He holds a Bachelor degree in Accounting from the University of Baltimore.
• He has a CPA degree, which he earned from the same University.

Career History

Bob's entry in the technology industry was incidental. He was sent to San Francisco bay area to accomplish an accounting job. During a stroll at Stanford University, he happened to drop by a bookstore and bought a book on BASIC programming. He read the book and began experimenting with a computer. He developed a program on personal finances. In 1984, he established Parsons Technology and started selling the software. The company had 1,000 employees when he sold to Intuit in 1994 for $64 million and moved to Arizona. In 1997, Bob founded Jomax Technologies. He renamed the company as GoDaddy in 1999 and became an ICANN accredited registrar in 2000.

Awards

• He earned a Combat Action Ribbon while serving as a Combat Rifleman in the Vietnam war.
• He received the "Ed Denison Business Leader of the Year" award in 2005.
• In 2007, he was selected as the Arizona Business Leader.
• In 2010, he was awarded an honorary Doctorate from the University of Baltimore and named it distinguished entrepreneur.

Personal Life

Bob was born in Baltimore, Maryland. He says that his family was financially poor and he had earned whatever he received. He has been working since long, some time selling newspaper, the other time pumping gas or doing work at a factory.

Bob has a taste for motorcycles and covered almost 85,000 miles on his bikes.