Doug Leone
Born 1957 · Age 68
Italian‑born American venture capitalist, long‑time partner and former global managing partner of Sequoia Capital; major investor and board member across enterprise software, cybersecurity and fintech.
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Life & Career Timeline
Emigrated to the United States
Leone's family moved from Italy to the United States and settled in Mount Vernon, New York. (Born 1957; moved at age 11 ≈1968.)
Graduated Cornell University (BS Mechanical Engineering)
Earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Cornell University.
First post‑college jobs – technical sales
Began career in technical sales roles (later held positions at Sun Microsystems, Hewlett‑Packard and Prime Computer).
Worked at Sun Microsystems (sales/management)
Held sales and management positions at Sun Microsystems (exact start date after Cornell; prior to joining Sequoia).
Worked at Hewlett‑Packard (sales/management)
Held sales and management roles at Hewlett‑Packard in the period between college and joining Sequoia.
Worked at Prime Computer (sales/management)
Held sales and management roles at Prime Computer before entering venture capital.
Earned MS in Industrial Engineering (Columbia)
Completed a master's degree in industrial engineering from Columbia University's School of Engineering and Applied Science.
Earned MS in Management (MIT Sloan, Sloan Fellow)
Completed a master's degree in management from the MIT Sloan School of Management as a Sloan Fellow.
Joined Sequoia Capital
Joined Sequoia Capital (Don Valentine had advocated for hiring him).
Became Partner at Sequoia Capital
Promoted to Partner at Sequoia Capital (Sequoia page notes Partner in 1993).
Named Managing Partner of Sequoia Capital
Became a managing partner at Sequoia Capital.
Named top‑10 U.S. VC by Forbes (historical recognition)
Forbes named him one of the top 10 venture capitalists in the United States (Forbes cited that recognition historically).
Early investments: RingCentral & Meraki (Sequoia portfolio)
Listed as an early Sequoia partner on investments including RingCentral and Meraki (Sequoia pages list these with 'Early (2006)').
Ranked #59 on Forbes Midas List
Appeared on Forbes' Midas List at position #59.
Ranked #39 on Forbes Midas List
Appeared on Forbes' Midas List at position #39.
ServiceNow investment (Sequoia growth stage)
Sequoia (with Leone as partner) listed ServiceNow as a growth‑stage investment (Sequoia page notes Growth (2009)).
Medallia listed as growth company (Sequoia portfolio)
Sequoia lists Medallia as a growth company associated with Leone (Growth (2011)).
Named Global Managing Partner of Sequoia Capital
Promoted to global managing partner at Sequoia Capital.
Led/seeded Nubank at Pre‑Seed/Seed (Sequoia involvement)
Sequoia (Leone) is listed as supporting Nubank at the firm's pre‑seed/seed stage (Sequoia lists Pre‑Seed/Seed (2013)).
PlanGrid listed as Sequoia 'Early (2014)' investment
PlanGrid is listed as an early Sequoia investment that Leone worked with (Sequoia page lists Early (2014)).
Named a top‑10 U.S. technology investor by Forbes
Forbes named Leone a top‑10 investor in the U.S. technology industry in 2017.
Forbes Billionaires List 2017 – Ranked #693, net worth $2.9B
Appeared on Forbes' World's Billionaires list at #693 with estimated net worth of US$2.9 billion.
Hawaii Supreme Court ruled against his Maui development
Hawaii Supreme Court rejected the Takings claim related to Leone's proposed oceanfront home development in Makena, Maui.
Reported involvement in efforts around TikTok sale talks
The Washington Post reported Leone proposed using his connections in the Trump Administration to help smooth a sale of TikTok (Sequoia had invested in the company).
Forbes Billionaires List 2020 – net worth $3.5B
Leone appeared on Forbes Billionaires list with an estimated wealth of US$3.5 billion, ranked #538.
Donated $100,000 to Trump's 2020 re‑election campaign
Leone and his wife donated US$100,000 to support President Donald Trump's 2020 re‑election campaign (reported by Forbes/Washington Post).
strongDM raises $17M Series A (Sequoia led)
strongDM announced a $17M Series A led by Sequoia; Doug Leone joined the company's board.
Wiz debuts with $100M funding; Leone joins board
Wiz raised $100M in funding and announced Leone would join the company's board.
Reported Forbes rank / coverage and ongoing Sequoia leadership
Press and Forbes coverage continued to cite Leone's role guiding investments such as Medallia, RingCentral, ServiceNow and Nubank.
Renounced support for Donald Trump
Following the January 6, 2021 storming of the U.S. Capitol, Leone publicly renounced his support for Donald Trump.
Conferred Officer of the Order of the Star of Italy
Leone was conferred with the Order of the Star of Italy in the class of Officer (Ufficiale dell'Ordine della Stella d'Italia).
Nubank IPO; Leone on board
Nubank shares jumped on their first day of trading in New York; Leone was a member of Nubank's board at the time.
Joined Cyera board (post funding round)
Following funding rounds for Cyera, the company added Doug Leone to its board (reports around Jan 2022).
Forbes 2022 Billionaires list – rank #350, net worth $6.9B (reported)
Forbes listed Leone in 2022 at rank #350 with an estimated net worth of US$6.9 billion (discrepancy with other sources noted).
Continued board roles across startups (ActionIQ, Island, Trade Republic, Wiz, strongDM, Nubank etc.)
Public sources list Leone as a board member or director for multiple companies (ActionIQ, Cyera, Island, Nubank, strongDM, Trade Republic, Wiz) through 2022.
Sequoia announced Leone stepping down as global managing partner
Sequoia announced Roelof Botha would replace Leone as the senior steward of global brand and operations effective July 5, 2022; Leone would remain a general partner in existing funds.
Effective date: Roelof Botha becomes Sequoia global head; Leone steps aside
Effective July 5, 2022 (after Leone's 65th birthday), Roelof Botha assumed the global leadership role; Leone continued as general partner for existing funds.
Net worth estimate reported (~US$6.1B)
Wikipedia noted that as of August 2022 Leone's net worth was estimated at US$6.1 billion. (Forbes also reported variants around this period.)
Listed as backer of America PAC (political involvement)
Reported as a backer of America PAC, which supported Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign (news/coverage in 2023–2024 referenced).
Public net worth estimate reported by third‑party site ($8.51B)
A third‑party profile (mabumbe.com) listed an estimated net worth of US$8.51 billion in 2024 (site estimate; higher than Forbes/Wikipedia figures).
Ongoing general partner role at Sequoia; mentoring and board activity
Although stepped down as Sequoia global head in 2022, Leone remains a general partner in existing funds and continues mentorship, board seats, and investment activity.
Active as speaker and keynote on venture capital and leadership
Professional speaker listings (AAE Speakers and others) show Leone available for keynote engagements on finance, VC and leadership topics (profile updated 2025 on AAE).
Key Achievement Ages
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