Who is Gabe Newell? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Nick Name: Gaben

Also Known As: Gabe Logan Newell

Age: 62 Years, 62 Year Old Males

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Lisa Newell (m. 1996)

IT & Software Entrepreneurs American Men

Height: 5'7" (170 cm), 5'7" Males

U.S. State: Washington

City: Seattle, Washington

More Facts

education: Harvard University (dropped out)

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Childhood & Early Life

He was born Gabe Logan Newell, on November 3, 1962, in Seattle, Washington, US. As he grew older, his interest in solving puzzles intensified and developed into a passion for computer games and information technology (IT).

He studied at ‘Harvard University’ from 1980 to 1983. However, he soon dropped out of college to take up a job with the American IT giant ‘Microsoft.’

He later stated that he had learnt much more during his first three months with ‘Microsoft’ than he could ever have at ‘Harvard University.’ He had a dream of becoming an entrepreneur in his own right from the time he started working.

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Career

Gabe started his career in computer programming with ‘Microsoft’ in 1983 and continued to work with them for the next 13 years. He was the producer of the ‘Windows’ operating system versions 1.01, 1.02, and 1.03 and worked closely with his employer, Bill Gates, who had, incidentally, also dropped out of ‘Harvard University’ to set up his software empire.

While with ‘Microsoft,’ he held several important portfolios, mainly in the field of program management and operating systems. He was the driving force behind the introduction of ‘Windows NT’ by ‘Microsoft.’ While with the company, he traveled widely and visited many software companies to enrich himself with practical knowledge of how the industry functioned.

Newell and his co-worker Mike Harrington quit ‘Microsoft,’ as ‘Microsoft Millionaires,’ to start their own organization, ‘Valve Corporation,’ in 1996. They jointly funded the development of the science-fiction first-person shooter video games ‘Half-Life’ and ‘GoldSrc’ for ‘Microsoft Windows.’ He is one of the pioneers in the field of advanced graphics and AI in gaming.

His next venture was the development of the software store ‘Steam,’ a digital distribution platform, offering digital rights management, video streaming, gaming and social networking. Over 1500 games are distributed by ‘Steam,’ which has over 200 million users. ‘DOTA 2’ and ‘Team Fortress 2’ are the most popular video games on ‘Steam.’ In 2009, ‘Steam’ acquired over 70% of the digital distribution market for video gaming.

He also developed ‘Steam for Schools,’ an educational software that is widely used in schools to teach physics, chemistry, and math in a more interesting manner. The software is interactive in nature, with a view to trigger young innovative minds.

He was instrumental in the development of ‘PlayStation 3’ for ‘Sony,’ although he once termed it “a waste of everybody’s time.” Its ‘Portal 2,’ which was a first-person puzzle video-game platform, was developed by ‘Valve Corporation.’ He appeared on stage at the 2010 ‘Electronic Entertainment Expo’ to deliver a talk on the software.

He also developed the ‘HTC Vive’ virtual-reality headset hardware that uses ‘Steam’ and is in stiff competition with ‘Apple’s ‘App Store’ on ‘Mac.’

At present, his role at ‘Valve Corporation’ is that of the managing director of game development, with more emphasis on technology than game designing. However, he has always believed that keeping up with the latest trends and contemporary designs is very important for a game to succeed.

Major Works

During his tenure with ‘Microsoft,’ he was the producer of the ‘Windows’ operating system versions 1.01, 1.02, and 1.03.

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He jointly funded the development of the science-fiction first-person shooter video games ‘Half-Life’ and ‘GoldSrc’ and developed the successful digital distribution platform ‘Steam.’

Awards & Achievements

He was featured as ‘A Name You Should Know’ by ‘Forbes’ in December 2010, for his contribution in developing ‘Steam’ with multiple developers.

He was awarded the ‘BAFTA Fellowship Award’ in March 2013, for his contribution to the video-game industry.

Gabe Newell made his place on the ‘Forbes’ list of the 100 richest businessmen of the US, in October 2017, with a net worth of $ 5.5 billion.

Personal Life

Gabe married Lisa Mennet in 1996 and has two sons. Although he is not a very expressive person, he is known to spend a lot of quality time with his wife and children at their home in Long Beach, Washington.

He suffered from ‘Fuchs’ dystrophy,’ a congenital disease that affects the cornea. He recovered from his condition by 2007, after two cornea transplants. This did not affect his professional work and business in any way.

He is fond of spending time playing video games, of which ‘Super Mario 64’ and ‘Doom’ are his favorites. He is also an ardent follower of the animated series ‘My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic.’ He is known as “Gaben” in the gaming community. The nickname was derived from his email address.

He is highly approachable and interactive in nature, with a good sense of humor. This has been the key to his success in gauging the challenges that gamers look forward to. He strongly believes in out-of-the-box thinking to keep ahead of others.

Facts About Gabe Newell

Gabe Newell has a collection of knives and enjoys practicing martial arts, particularly Aikido.

He is known for his love of sandwiches and has even created his own unusual sandwich combinations.

He is a big fan of the TV show My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic and has been known to attend fan conventions.

Gabe Newell is an avid collector of rare and vintage video game memorabilia, with a particular interest in early arcade machines.

Gabe Newell Biography

You wanted to know

What is Gabe Newell's role at Valve Corporation?

When was Gabe Newell's first major success in the gaming industry?

What is Gabe Newell's approach to innovation in the gaming industry?

How has Gabe Newell contributed to the development of virtual reality technology?

What are some of the key projects Gabe Newell has been involved in at Valve Corporation?