Gabe Newell is an American businessman and computer engineer best known as the co-founder of ‘Valve Corporation.’ He is a forefather of advanced graphics and artificial intelligence (AI) in gameplay. He pulled out of ‘Harvard University’ to work for ‘Microsoft,’ where he stayed for 13 years. He created the ‘Windows’ operating systems versions 1.01, 1.02, and 1.03. His ambition, however, had always been to own his own software company. He co-founded ‘Valve Corporation’ with Mike Harrington, and the two worked together to create the video games ‘Half-Life’ and ‘GoldSrc’ for ‘Microsoft Windows.’ He also created the digital distribution portal ‘Steam,’ which provides DRM, video streaming, gaming, and social networking. As of 2009, ‘Steam’ controlled more than 70% of the digital video game distribution industry. By 2017, it had over 200 million members. ‘Valve’ created the ‘HTC Vive virtual-reality headset technology, which competes heavily with ‘Apple’s ‘App Store’ on ‘Mac.’ He is presently Valve’s managing director of game development. With a net worth of over $ 5.5 billion, he was named one of the 100 wealthiest businessmen in the United States by Forbes in 2017.
Youth and Adolescence
Gabriel Logan Newell was born on November 3, 1962, in Seattle, Washington, USA. His interest in solving puzzles increased as he grew older, and it evolved into a passion for computer games and information technology (IT).
From 1980 to 1983, he attended ‘Harvard University’. However, he shortly dropped out of college to work for the American IT behemoth ‘Microsoft.’
He subsequently stated that during his first three months with ‘Microsoft,’ he learned far more than he could have at ‘Harvard University.’ He had a dream of becoming an entrepreneur since the day he began working.
Gabe Newell’s Career
Gabe began his job in computer programming with ‘Microsoft’ in 1983 and stayed with them for the next 13 years. He created the ‘Windows’ operating system versions 1.01, 1.02, and 1.03 and collaborated closely with his boss, Bill Gates, who had dropped out of ‘Harvard University’ to start his software business.
He held several key portfolios at ‘Microsoft,’ primarily in the fields of program management and operating systems. He was the driving factor behind Microsoft’s introduction of ‘Windows NT.’ During his time with the business, he traveled extensively and visited numerous software companies to gain real knowledge of how the industry worked.
Newell and his co-worker Mike Harrington quit ‘Microsoft,’ as ‘Microsoft Millionaires,’ to establish their organization, ‘Valve Corporation,’ in 1996. They worked together to create the science-fiction first-person shooter video games ‘Half-Life’ and ‘GoldSrc’ for ‘Microsoft Windows.’ He is a pioneer in the area of advanced graphics and artificial intelligence in gaming.
His next endeavor was the creation of ‘Steam,’ a digital distribution platform that provides digital rights management, video streaming, gaming, and social networking. ‘Steam,’ which has over 200 million members, distributes over 1500 games. The most famous video games on ‘Steam’ are ‘DOTA 2’ and ‘Team Fortress 2.’ In 2009, ‘Steam’ acquired more than 70% of the digital video game distribution industry.
He also created ‘Steam for Schools,’ a piece of educational software that is extensively used in schools to make physics, chemistry, and math more engaging. The software is interactive, to stimulate young innovative minds.
He helped create the ‘PlayStation 3’ for ‘Sony,’ despite once calling it “a waste of everybody’s time.” The ‘Valve Corporation’ created ‘Portal 2,’ a first-person puzzle video game framework. He spoke about the program on stage at the ‘Electronic Entertainment Expo’ in 2010. He also created the ‘HTC Vive virtual-reality headset technology, which runs on ‘Steam’ and competes with ‘Apple’s ‘App Store’ on ‘Mac.’
His current position at ‘Valve Corporation’ is that of managing director of game creation, with a focus on technology rather than game design. However, he has always thought that keeping up with the latest trends and designs is critical for a game’s success.
Gabe’s Important Projects
During his time at ‘Microsoft,’ he was responsible for the creation of the ‘Windows’ operating system versions 1.01, 1.02, and 1.03. He co-developed the science-fiction first-person shooter video games ‘Half-Life’ and ‘GoldSrc,’ as well as the successful digital distribution network ‘Steam.’
Honors and Recognition
In December 2010, ‘Forbes’ named him a ‘Name You Should Know’ for his contributions to the development of ‘Steam’ with numerous developers.
In March 2013, he received the ‘BAFTA Fellowship Award’ for his contributions to the video game business.
Gabe Newell, with a net worth of $ 5.5 billion, was named to the Forbes ranking of the 100 richest businessmen in the United States in October 2017.
Gabe’s Private Affairs
Gabriel married Lisa Mennet in 1996 and they have two children. Despite his lack of expressiveness, he is known to spend a lot of time with his wife and children at their house in Long Beach, Washington. He had ‘Fuchs’ dystrophy,’ a congenital condition affecting the cornea. After two cornea transplants, he was able to recuperate by 2007. This had no bearing on his professional job or business.
He enjoys playing computer games, with ‘Super Mario 64’ and ‘Doom’ being his favorites. He also enjoys the cartoon series ‘My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic.’ He is known as “Gaben” in the gaming world. His email address inspired the moniker.
He is approachable and interactive, and he has an excellent sense of humor. This has been the secret to his success in predicting the challenges that gamers anticipate. To stay ahead of the competition, he believes in looking outside the box. Gabe dropped out of ‘Harvard University’ at the request of Steve Ballmer, the director of sales at ‘Microsoft.’
Michael Abrash, who left ‘Microsoft’ to create the gaming program ‘Quake’ at ‘id Software,’ inspired him.
Newell was dissatisfied with Sony’s creation of the ‘PlayStation 3.’ He claimed that the initiative was a waste of time and that it should never have been launched in the first place.
He is also thought to have been critical of ‘Windows 8’ and the online multiplayer gaming service ‘Xbox Live,’ which he characterized as a disaster and a threat to the free-flowing gaming culture. He believes that 90% of all games lose money and that only 10% of games generate huge profits that offset the losses.
He also claimed that ‘Apple’ was overly demanding and did not allow for tiny profit margins. His approach to piracy is to provide consumers with products that are superior to what any pirate company can create.
Estimated Net Worth
Gabe Newell is a $6 billion-dollar-worth American businessman in the video game creation industry. Gabe Newell made his fortune as the co-founder and managing director of Valve Corporation, a video game development, and online distribution business. Valve, headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, is best known for its games Half-Life, Counter-Strike, and Portal 2.