Bob Young (businessman)
Robert Young | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1953 or 1954 Hamilton, Ontario, Canada |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Known for | Founder of Red Hat Inc., owner of Forge FC and Hamilton Tiger-Cats |
Robert Young (born 1953 or 1954) is a prominent businessman recognized primarily for establishing Red Hat Inc., a leading company in open source software. He holds ownership of the franchises for Forge FC in the Canadian Premier League and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the Canadian Football League, where he also acts as caretaker.
Early life
Young was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. He completed his secondary education at Trinity College School located in Port Hope, Ontario, and obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from Victoria College within the University of Toronto.
Career
Prior to founding Red Hat, Young launched Vernon Computer Rentals in 1984, a business specializing in computer leasing and rental that continues to operate under that name. In 1993, he established ACC Corp Inc.
Young co-established Red Hat alongside Marc Ewing. Their collaboration began in 1994 when ACC acquired Red Hat’s trademarks from Ewing. The following year, ACC rebranded itself as Red Hat Software, which was eventually shortened to Red Hat, Inc. Young held the position of CEO until 1999. The company became part of the S&P 500 index before its acquisition by IBM on July 9, 2019.
In 2002, Young founded Lulu.com, a self-publishing platform utilizing print-on-demand technology, where he also served as CEO. To encourage books derived from blogs, he initiated the Lulu Blooker Prize in 2006.
Between 2015 and 2017, Young was CEO of PrecisionHawk, a commercial drone technology firm where he had been an early investor and currently serves as chairman of the board.
Young also co-founded Linux Journal in 1994. He acquired ownership of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2003. In 2022, he divested minority shares to team President Scott Mitchell, executive Jim Lawson, and steel producer Stelco.
His philanthropic efforts emphasize improving access to information and fostering knowledge development. In 1999, he co-founded the Center for the Public Domain and has supported organizations such as Creative Commons, Public Knowledge.org, the Dictionary of Old English, Loran Scholarship Foundation, ibiblio.org, and NCSU eGames.