Silicon Valley VC legend dies
Eugene Kleiner dies at 80. He co-founded Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and helped build it into an internationally known venture firm that funded Sun Microsystems, Amazon and others.
In addition to his role as a Silicon Valley venture capitalist, Kleiner was also known as a member of the "Fairchild Eight"--the group that founded Fairchild Semiconductor. The chipmaker was one of the first to successfully manufacture a silicon-based transistor.
At the time of his death, Kleiner served as a "partner emeritus" at Kleiner Perkins.
"Eugene Kleiner was a great pioneer of Silicon Valley?and his contribution to finance and technology were enormous. He will be sorely missed," read a statement released Tuesday by the firm.
Memorial services will be held at the Congregation Beth Am in Los Altos Hills on Dec. 5 at 1 p.m.