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What is Henry Nicholas III’s Net Worth?
Henry Nicholas III, co-founder of semiconductor giant Broadcom Corporation, has an estimated net worth of $14.01 billion. Nicholas’s wealth primarily stems from his involvement with Broadcom, which he co-founded with Henry Samueli in 1991. The company went public in 1998 and quickly became a major player in the semiconductor industry. In 2016, Broadcom was acquired by Avago Technologies in a landmark $37 billion deal, which boosted Nicholas’s net worth.
Despite retiring from Broadcom in 2003, Nicholas has maintained a substantial stake in the company. His wealth has continued to grow over the years, with a notable increase of $7.41 billion in 2023 alone.
Here’s the breakdown of Henry Nicholas III’s net worth:
Name: | Henry Nicholas III |
Net Worth: | $14.01 Billion |
Date of Birth: | 1959 |
Profession: | Businessperson |
If you’re curious about how we estimate a celebrity’s net worth, you can check out our methodology here.
Early Life
Henry Thompson Nicholas III was born in 1959 in Cincinnati, Ohio, to Marcella and Henry T. Nicholas Jr. His early years were marked by family challenges, including his parents’ divorce when he was four years old, after which he moved with his mother and sister to Los Angeles, California. Despite facing personal difficulties, including dyslexia, Nicholas showed academic promise from a young age.
After attending the United States Air Force Academy, Nicholas graduated from UCLA School of Engineering in 1982 with a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering. He continued his studies at UCLA, earning a master’s degree in 1985 and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering in 1998.
Broadcom
The cornerstone of Henry Nicholas III’s substantial net worth is undoubtedly Broadcom Corporation, which he co-founded with Henry Samueli in 1991. The company’s humble beginnings in the spare bedroom of Nicholas’s Redondo Beach condominium belie its future success. Each partner initially invested just $5,000 of their own money.
Broadcom’s growth was meteoric. The company went public in 1998, marking a significant milestone in Nicholas’s career. Under his leadership as co-chairman, president, and CEO, Broadcom became a major player in the semiconductor industry. Nicholas retired from Broadcom in 2003, but his wealth continued to grow through his stake in the company.
A pivotal moment came in 2016 when Broadcom was acquired by Avago Technologies in a landmark $37 billion deal. This acquisition significantly boosted Nicholas’s net worth.
Philanthropy
Henry Nicholas III has been actively involved in philanthropic efforts throughout his career. In 2006, he established The Henry T. Nicholas III Foundation with the vision of improving lives through investments in education, youth sports, technology, science, medical research, victim’s rights, and national defense. Since its inception, the Foundation has provided more than $2.7 million to numerous public charities and non-profit organizations.
Nicholas has also been a strong advocate for victims’ rights. Following the tragic murder of his sister Marsalee in 1983, he became a leader in the victims’ rights movement. He helped pass Marsy’s Law, a state constitutional amendment in California that created a comprehensive Victims’ Bill of Rights.
Nicholas has continued to support this cause through Marsy’s Law for All, an organization dedicated to passing similar laws across the United States.
Personal Life
Nicholas was born in 1959 in Cincinnati, Ohio, to Marcella and Henry T. Nicholas Jr. His parents divorced when he was four, and he moved with his mother and sister to Los Angeles, California.
Nicholas married Stacey Feller in 1987, and they had three children together. However, their marriage faced challenges, and Stacey filed for divorce in 2006.
Nicholas has been open about his personal struggles, including dyslexia and attention deficit disorder. These challenges, along with his family history, may have contributed to some of the difficulties he faced later in life. In April 2008, Nicholas committed himself to the Betty Ford Center for alcohol treatment.
Controversies
Throughout his career, Nicholas has faced several legal and personal controversies. In 2008, he was indicted on charges of securities fraud and drug distribution. The securities fraud charges were related to options backdating at Broadcom, which led to a $2.2 billion charge for the company. These charges were later dismissed in 2009.
Nicholas has also faced allegations of drug use and distribution. Court documents from a 2007 lawsuit claimed that Nicholas had built a secret underground lair for drug use and encounters with prostitutes. These allegations, along with others, painted a picture of a complex and troubled individual despite his professional success.
Las Vegas Arrest
In August 2018, Nicholas faced another significant legal challenge when he was arrested in Las Vegas on suspicion of drug trafficking. Police reportedly found heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and ecstasy in his hotel room at the Encore casino-resort. Nicholas was arrested along with Ashley Fargo, reportedly a former spouse of an heir to the Wells Fargo fortune.
In October 2019, Nicholas and Fargo reached a plea deal to avoid jail time. As part of the agreement, they each agreed to donate $500,000 to local drug treatment organizations, undergo drug counseling, and complete 250 hours of community service. This incident, while damaging to his reputation, did not appear to significantly impact Nicholas’s overall net worth, which remained in the billions.
Ashley Roberts is the founder of Real-Time Billionaires List. She founded this platform because she likes to know how much celebrities are actually making. She is always curious why these people can make much more money than the ordinary person.
With a Bachelor’s degree in finance, she is skilled at financial analysis and understands numbers related to wealth. Most of the articles on this site are edited by herself before publishing.
