He is the founder, chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners, an investment firm with over $14 billion in assets as of October 1, 2015.Smith is ranked by Forbes as 268th richest man in America, and the second wealthiest African-American on the list, trailing only Oprah Winfrey. With heavy hearts, we announce the death of Robert F. Smith of Pembroke, Massachusetts, born in Marlborough, Massachusetts, who passed away on January 20, 2021 at the age of 73. Komen. [25], In 2014, Smith became the founding director and president of the Fund II Foundation, which has invested in organizations such as Cornell, the National Park Foundation, and Susan G. In addition to his personal philanthropy, Smith is the founding director and President of the Fund II Foundation, a charitable organization making grants to support a broad range of organizations. 187.3k Followers, 97 Following, 419 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Robert Frederick Smith (@robertfredericksmith) Please accept Echovita’s sincere condolences. It focuses exclusively on investing in software companies. A former chemical engineer and investment banker, he is the founder, chairman, and CEO of the private equity firm Vista Equity Partners. It worked, until now", "Hope Dworaczyk Smith Pregnant With Second Child! Robert Frederick Smith (born December 1, 1962) is an American businessman, philanthropist, chemical engineer, and investor. Two years ago, Fund II Foundation developed Cradle to Greatness, a framework that aligns our strategic grantmaking priorities with outcomes that prepare and propel generations of talent. If you’re successful and do the hard work and focus on your job, focusing on the mission instead of the role, your success will be recognized and given visibility. Before his current wife, Hope Dworaczyk, entered the picture, Smith was married to Suzanne McFayden. [48], Smith has received the Candle in Business and Philanthropy Award from Morehouse College,[49] the International Medical Corps Humanitarian of the Year Award,[50] Ebony’s John H. Johnson Award,[51] and the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Chairman's Award, among others. Welcome to the Robert F. Smith STEAM Academy Founded upon the principles of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), the Robert F. Smith STEAM Academy honors scholars’ history, individuality, cultural experiences, and future potential while providing a rigorous and high-quality academic experience. We will only grasp the staggering potential of our time if we create on-ramps that empower all people to participate, regardless of background, country of origin, religious practice, gender, or color of skin. Robert had also answered to Robert F Smith and Robert Francis Smith, and perhaps a couple of other names. Robert F. Smith is a business leader, investor in transformative companies, a champion for diversity and inclusion and a steward of culture, the environment, equity and education. Robert F. Smith born Robert Frederick Smith, is an American businessman, investor and philanthropist. The wedding was a lavish ceremony on Italy's Amalfi Coast. [65][66][67][68], According to a leading tax expert cited by the Washington Post, “The idea of a billionaire tax cheat getting immunity to cooperate against another billionaire tax cheat strikes a lot of people as out of step....For Smith to get a non-prosecution agreement for cooperation is very unusual.”[69], In 1988, Smith married his first wife, fellow Cornell alum Suzanne McFayden. [56], In May 2019, while at Morehouse College to receive an honorary doctorate and deliver the commencement address, he announced that he and his family would pay off the entire student loan debt of the 2019 Morehouse College graduating class of 396 students. Smith persisted, calling each Monday for five months. [46] That same year, Smith donated $2.5 million to the Prostate Cancer Foundation to advance prostate cancer research among African-American men. [52][53] He was awarded an honorary doctorate of International Affairs from American University's School of International Service[54][55] and an honorary doctorate from Morehouse College. In 2015, Vista Equity Partners boasted it’s 30% annual returns. [60], In October 2019, Smith received the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy, which is given to individuals who have donated private wealth to the public. Her ascension will make her the only current Black female…, National Women & Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day and the Disproportionate Impact on Women of Color, Robert F. Smith Co-Hosts The World Values Network’s Ninth Annual Champions of Jewish Values International Awards Gala, Walgreens’ New CEO Shows We Still Need to Build Pipelines to Increase Diversity in Leadership, founding director and President of the Fund II Foundation. Smith married Hope Dworaczyk, the founder and CEO of skincare company MUTHA, a former Playboy playmate, healthy living advocate, and fashion editor, on July 25, 2015. [17][18][19] Vista has invested in companies such as STATS, Ping Identity, and Jio. [16] As of 2019, Vista Equity Partners was the fourth largest enterprise software company after Microsoft, Oracle, and SAP, including all their holdings. Robert F. Smith founded private equity firm Vista Equity Partners in 2000. Smith’s passion for his African-American heritage and history pervade the Foundation’s mission and spirit. Robert F. Smith Biography – Robert F. Smith Wiki. A former chemical engineer and investment banker, he is the founder, chairman, and CEO of private equity firm Vista Equity Partners. The framework ignites innovation, demands fair access, and accelerates the careers of young people who have been overlooked and underestimated. [13] In 2018, Smith was included in Vanity Fair’s New Establishment List, which is an annual ranking of individuals who have made impactful business innovations. Before he was wiping out Morehouse College student debt, he was patenting coffee brewing at Kraft", "Who Is Robert F. Smith, the Man Paying Off Morehouse Graduates' Loans? ", "Influential Black Entrepreneurs - Robert Smith", "Vista Equity: The Biggest Software Group You've Never Heard Of", "Robert F. Smith - Vista Equity Partners", "Vista Equity Partners to pay $1.9 billion in private-equity deal for Apptio", "Vista Equity Partners to invest $1.5B in India's Reliance Jio Platforms", "Vista Equity Partners Is Acquiring Ping Identity", "What to know about Robert F. Smith, the man paying off Morehouse grads' student loans", "Vista's Smith named PEI's 2016 'Game Changer, "Cover Story: Robert F. Smith, Chairman & CEO of Vista Equity Partners", "Now the Richest Black American, He's Also One of America's Biggest Philanthropists", "Austin billionaire who paid off students' debt has history of giving back", "Martin Luther King Jr.'s homes to be preserved by National Park Service", "A "quiet" African American billionaire is offering Nigeria's rescued Chibok girls a new lease of life", "US tycoon helps Chibok pupils back into the classroom", "Robert Smith | Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice & Human Rights", "Carnegie Hall Names New Board Chairman: Private-Equity Financier Robert F. Smith", "Cornell names Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering in recognition of the leadership of philanthropist", "Cornell names engineering school after alumnus", "7 More U.S. Philanthropists Sign Giving Pledge", "Billionaire Denverite Robert F. Smith pledges to pay off student loan debt for Morehouse College class of 2019", "NEXUS Summer Program Students Dream Big in Teen Entrepreneurship Challenge", "Louis Armstrong's Life in Letters, Music and Art", "Louis Armstrong's unseen artifacts almost ready for public view", "Warner/Chappell Music CEO Jon Platt Lauded at City of Hope Gala: 'He's the Obama of the Music Industry, "Billionaire, Power 100 Honoree, Robert F. Smith Donates to Prostate Cancer • EBONY", "Riverbank's Cultural Center Renamed After $1 Million Gift", "Morehouse gets two $1M gifts at anniversary gala", "EBONY Power 100 2017 Honoree - Robert F. Smith", "President Obama to Deliver Final Keynote at 46th ALC Phoenix Awards Dinner - Congressional Black Caucus Foundation", "Harlem Columbia Grad Billionaire Man Robert F. Smith (Video)", "AU Announces 2015 Commencement Speakers | American University Washington DC", "JUST IN: Morehouse commencement speaker to pay off Class of 2019's student loans", "Billionaire Robert F. Smith pledges to pay off Morehouse College Class of 2019′s student loans", "Graduation speaker pledges to pay class of 2019 student debt", "Morehouse Graduates' Student Loans to Be Paid Off by Billionaire", "Morehouse to use $1.5 million gift on scholarships and a new park", "Announcing the 2019 Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy Recipients", "Kendra Scott's and Robert Smith Invited to be Inducted in 2019 - Texas Business Hall of Fame", "These are the experts, leaders working with Gov. The Robert F. Smith Internship Program was established with the museum to create opportunities for historically underrepresented individuals. [36], Smith became the board chairman of Carnegie Hall in 2016, the first African American to hold that position. [4][37], Also that year, Cornell University named the Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering after him, following a donation. Robert F. Smith Biography. [3] When he was an infant, his mother carried him at the March on Washington, where the Rev. Robert F. Smith American investor, inventor, engineer, philanthropist, entrepreneur. Robert Frederick Smith (born December 1, 1962) is an American businessman, philanthropist, chemical engineer, and investor. [41] That year, Smith was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Denver. Robert F. Smith, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners and Founding Director and President of the Fund II Foundation, delivered a commencement address to NPower Baltimore’s first graduating class of 24 young adults who recently completed NPower’s 22-week IT training program. [24], The 2019 PitchBook Private Equity Awards named Vista Equity Partners 'Dealmaker of the Year'. [12] From 1994 to 2000, he worked for Goldman Sachs in technology investment banking, first in New York City and then in Silicon Valley. Here is Robert F. Smith’s obituary. Image: Robert F. Smith and Hope Dworaczyk Smith at the Carnegie Hall opening night last Thursday. As one of the most active investors in the enterprise software market, Vista believes in the advancement of technology to create opportunity. Smith was born and raised in Port Lavaca, Texas. In 2018, his estimated net worth was $4.4 billion and became the nation’s richest African-American. This grant helped digitize Armstrong's collection to make it available to the public. About Robert F. Smith. [23], In 2016, Smith was named as Private Equity International's Game Changer of the Year for his work with Vista. Sometimes we think it’s just the Giving Pledge-kind of people making a difference, but it’s also individuals who may not have great wealth but who give generously of their time and resources. in … [35] He has donated to The Sphinx Organization, which supports diversity in the arts. [62] In April 2020, Governor Greg Abbott named Smith to the Strike Force to Open Texas – a group "tasked with finding safe and effective ways to slowly reopen the state" amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Robert F. Smith’s Continued Support of the Sphinx Organization In 2016, Smith provided the Sphinx Organization with a major contribution to funding scholarships through the “Robert Frederick Smith Prize.” Each year, the winner of the Senior Division of the Sphinx Competition received $50,000 from the scholarship fund. Smith trained as an engineer at Cornell University, earning his B.S. Robert F. Smith was born to two working-class parents in a predominantly African American, middle-class neighborhood in Denver, Colorado. He is the founder, chairman, and CEO of private equity firm Vista Equity Partners. Robert F. Smith is the Founder, Chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners, a leading global technology investment firm. He first learned that everyone had a role to play in creating a better world from watching his parents, who donated their limited resources to charities on an ongoing basis, no matter what was happening in their personal lives. ", "Inspiring Female Founders In The Beauty Industry", "Suzanne McFayden Wiki: Facts about Billionaire Robert F. Smith's Ex-Wife", "How Robert F. Smith, the Wealthiest Black American, Is Making Change", "The World's Billionaires (2016 ranking): #688 Robert Smith", "Real Housewives of Malibu Part 2: Yolanda Hadid Foster sells to Robert & Hope Smith for nearly $20 million", "Billionaire Robert Smith Is Buyer Of Record-Breaking $59M New York Penthouse", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_F._Smith_(investor)&oldid=1009939980, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 3 March 2021, at 01:42. Robert F. Smith received accolades from a number of different organizations for his charitable work, entrepreneurship and industry leadership. Robert F. Smith prioritizes making a difference in the communities where he lives and works. Smith was ranked by Forbes as the 163rd richest person in America in 2018. Robert F. Smith is an American businessman. Billionaire investor and CEO of Vista Equity Partners Robert Smith joins CBS This Morning to discuss the Paycheck Protection Program and what his company is doing to help minority-owned small businesses. [56][57][58][59] He had previously donated $1.5 million to the school in January 2019, to be used for scholarships and a park.