What is Scott McNealy's net worth?
Scott McNealy is an American business executive who has a net worth of $1 billion. Scott McNealy earned his fortune as one of the co-founders of the technology behemoth Sun Microsystems. In recent years, Scott has become known for being the father of professional golfer Maverick McNealy. Scott has actually caddied for him on several occasions. Maverick won his first PGA Tour victory, the RSM Classic, in November 2024.
Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images
Early Life & Education
Scott McNealy was born on November 13, 1954, in Columbus, Indiana. He grew up in Bloomfield Hill, Michigan. He attended Harvard for his undergraduate degree in economics, then earned an MBA from Stanford University. After Stanford, McNealy worked his way to manufacturing director at a company called Onyx Systems.
Scott McNealy / Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Sun Microsystems
In 1982, a fellow Stanford grad named Vinod Khosla approached Scott while he was still working at Onyx about helping launch and guide a small technology business that was to be called Sun Microsystems. The "SUN" in the name was actually a reference to the "Stanford University Network" computer workstation that was developed by Vinod's co-founder Andy Bechtolsheim while they were both graduate students.
At Sun Microsystems, Scott McNealy's leadership transformed a small Silicon Valley startup into one of the most influential technology companies of the 1980s and 1990s. After joining as co-founder and Vice President of Operations in 1982, McNealy became CEO in 1984 at age 29, making him one of the youngest CEOs of a major technology company. He would go on to serve as CEO for the next 22 years, stepping down in 2006. The company went public in 1986 under the ticker symbol "SUNW." In 2007, the ticker was changed to "JAVA."
Under McNealy's direction, Sun pioneered the "the network is the computer" vision, developing key technologies, including Java programming language, Network File System (NFS), and SPARC microprocessors. The company's workstations and servers became industry standards, particularly in academic and research environments.
McNealy's aggressive leadership style and outspoken personality defined Sun's corporate culture. He was known for publicly challenging competitors, particularly Microsoft, famously calling Bill Gates "a convicted monopolist" and criticizing Windows' security. His competitive drive helped Sun achieve remarkable growth, with revenue reaching $18 billion by 2000.
The dot-com boom of the late 1990s brought Sun tremendous success, as internet companies heavily relied on their servers. However, this dependency proved problematic when the bubble burst in 2000-2001. The stock plummeted from over $100 a share at the bubble's peak in 2001 to less than $10 a share in 2002. The company struggled to adapt to the changing technology landscape, particularly the rise of Linux and cheaper x86 servers.
McNealy's response included shifting toward open-source software, releasing the Solaris operating system's source code, and making Java freely available. Despite these efforts, Sun's market position continued to decline. In 2006, McNealy stepped down as CEO, though he remained Chairman of the Board.
The financial crisis of 2008 further weakened Sun's position, leading to Oracle's acquisition of the company in 2010 for $7.4 billion. The deal marked the end of Sun's 28-year run as an independent company. Despite the challenging end, McNealy's tenure at Sun produced significant technological innovations that continue to influence computing today, particularly through Java's widespread adoption in enterprise software development.
Maverick and Scott McNealy /Streeter Lecka/Getty Images
Personal Life
Scott and his wife, Susan, have four sons. Their son Maverick is a professional golfer. Maverick was the #1 ranked golfer in the World Amateur Golf Rankings in 2017. He made his professional debut that same year. In November 2024, Maverick won his first PGA Tour victory at the RSM Classic. He birdied the final hole to win by one. Scott has been known to caddie for his son at various events over the years.
Portola Valley Mansion
In 2006, not long after stepping down from Sun, Scott and Susan bought a 13.4-acre property in an area called Portola Valley (technically, an unincorporated area within Palo Alto). By 2008, they had completed construction on a 21,000-square-foot mansion. The estate features a room dedicated just for making pizza, an indoor gym with a rock-climbing wall, a tennis pavilion, a full-sized hockey rink (Scott is a huge hockey fan), and a 110-yard golf course (which Maverick clearly enjoyed). The McNealys hosted Donald Trump for a fundraiser at the estate in 2019.
In 2018, Scott and Susan listed the estate for $100 million. In 2022, the price was lowered to $54 million. They ultimately accepted $35 million in August 2024. They now live in Nevada. Here is a video tour of their former Portola Valley estate:
