Charles Simonyi

Charles Simonyi
Charles Simonyi
Born	September 10, 1948 (age 78); Budapest, Hungary
Occupation(s)	Software architect, entrepreneur, space traveler
Years active	1966–present
Known for	Leading role in creating Microsoft's application software; co-founder of Intentional Software; private space traveler

Charles Simonyi (; , ; born September 10, 1948) is a software architect, entrepreneur, and space traveler of Hungarian-American descent. He played a leading role in creating Microsoft's initial application software, including the early iterations of Microsoft Office, and later co-established Intentional Software, a firm based on his innovative idea of intentional programming. As a former researcher at Xerox PARC, he contributed to the advancement of graphical user interfaces and was instrumental in introducing object-oriented programming and Hungarian notation at Microsoft. Simonyi has journeyed into space twice as a private individual, making him the fifth space tourist overall and uniquely the only one to finance two separate missions to the International Space Station. His net worth was estimated at US$7.5 billion as of January 2025.

Early life

Born in Budapest, Hungary, Simonyi is the son of Károly Simonyi, a distinguished professor of electrical engineering at the Technical University of Budapest who was honored with the Kossuth Prize and developed Hungary’s inaugural nuclear particle accelerator. During his secondary education, Simonyi worked overnight as a guard in a computer laboratory that housed a Soviet Ural II mainframe. There, he acquired programming skills from an engineer, created several compilers, and successfully sold one to a government agency. He also showcased his compiler to a visiting Danish computer trade delegation. In 2006, he reflected that his childhood aspiration was "to leave Hungary, move Westward, and experience freedom."

Career

At age 17, Simonyi departed Hungary on a temporary visa and never returned. By 1966, he was employed at Denmark’s A/S Regnecentralen, collaborating with Per Brinch Hansen and Peter Kraft on real-time control systems for the RC 4000 minicomputer, and working with Peter Naur on the GIER ALGOL compiler.

In 1968, he relocated to the United States to study at the University of California, Berkeley, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Mathematics & Statistics in 1972 under the mentorship of Butler Lampson. He also holds honorary doctorates from both the Juilliard School and the University of Pecs.

During Xerox PARC’s period of intense innovation, Lampson recruited Simonyi to join the team where he worked alongside notable figures such as Lampson himself, Alan Kay, and Robert Metcalfe on the development of the Xerox Alto, an early personal computer model. He co-created Bravo, recognized as the first WYSIWYG document editing program which became operational in 1974. In 1977, Simonyi obtained a PhD in computer science from Stanford University with a dissertation focused on meta-programming, a technique for managing software projects designed to enhance programming scalability by formalizing how programmers communicate. This approach centralized design authority within a "metaprogrammer," thereby boosting coordination and productivity. He remained with PARC until 1981.

In recognition of his impact on desktop productivity software, Simonyi was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering in 1997 and later became a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2008. Since 1998, he has served on the Board of Trustees for the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton and was appointed its Chairman in 2008. Additionally, he received the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement in 2000.

Microsoft

In 1981, acting on Metcalfe's recommendation, Simonyi met with Bill Gates at Microsoft, who encouraged him to establish an applications division centered on a WYSIWYG word processor. During his tenure at Microsoft, Simonyi assembled the teams responsible for the development of its most lucrative products, including Word and Excel, as well as Excel’s forerunner, Multiplan. He implemented a "revenue bomb" approach by running applications on a virtual machine that was adapted for various platforms, thereby improving portability—although this advantage diminished later due to Microsoft’s emphasis on MS-DOS and IBM’s push for standardization.

Simonyi introduced the concept of metaprogramming within Microsoft with the goal of creating a "software factory," but this idea ultimately faced practical challenges in implementation. Additionally, he integrated object-oriented programming principles gleaned from Xerox and devised the widely adopted Hungarian notation for naming variables, which originated from his doctoral research.

Intentional Software

Remaining at Microsoft through its period of rapid expansion, Simonyi became one of its leading developers before departing in 2002 to co-found Intentional Software alongside Gregor Kiczales. This firm promotes intentional programming methodologies developed at Microsoft Research. The approach centers on constructing domain-specific language environments where experts in a particular field can specify program behavior using a WYSIWYG-style interface; then, an automated system produces the final software product, facilitating easier iterative modifications.

In recognition of his contributions to IT innovation, Simonyi was honored with the Wharton Infosys Business Transformation Award in 2004. On April 18, 2017, Intentional Software was acquired by Microsoft, bringing Simonyi back to the company.

Patents

Simonyi is credited with holding 11 patents registered in various jurisdictions (Espacenet):

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Philanthropy

Simonyi has distinguished himself as a significant philanthropist by endowing prominent academic chairs and supporting cultural institutions. Key contributions include:

The establishment in 1995 of the Simonyi Professorship of the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford University, initially occupied by Richard Dawkins and currently held by Marcus du Sautoy.
The creation of a Simonyi Professorship for Innovation in Teaching at Stanford University, held by Eric S. Roberts from 1997 to 2002.
A $25 million gift in 2005 founding the Simonyi Professorship of Mathematical Physics at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, currently held by Edward Witten.

In 2003, he launched the Charles and Lisa Simonyi Fund for Arts and Sciences, a Seattle-based nonprofit organization that provided grants to leading entities in arts, science, and education. Among its beneficiaries were the Seattle Symphony ($10 million), Seattle Public Library ($3 million), the Metropolitan Opera, the Juilliard School, and the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, home to the Simonyi Survey Telescope. This $100 million foundation concluded its activities in 2013.

In 2017, Simonyi and his wife Lisa contributed $5 million toward a new facility for the University of Washington’s Computer Science and Engineering department.

Political involvement

Simonyi was among the initial financial backers of Donald Trump's presidential bids, donating the maximum allowed primary amount of $2,700 in 2015 and contributing $200,000 toward the 2020 campaign. His political contributions extend to various Republican candidates, the Republican National Committee, as well as several state-level Republican organizations, demonstrating significant participation in party activities.

Personal background

Simonyi obtained United States citizenship in 1982. He was romantically involved with entrepreneur Martha Stewart for 15 years, a relationship that concluded in 2008. Later that same year, he wed Lisa Persdotter, the daughter of a Swedish entrepreneur, in an intimate ceremony held in Gothenburg, Sweden, attended by close acquaintances including Bill Gates. The couple has two daughters.

His residence is located in Medina, Washington, where he lives in Villa Simonyi, a contemporary house designed by architect Wendell Lovett and featuring artwork by Roy Lichtenstein and Victor Vasarely. Previously, he spent part of each year aboard his 233-foot yacht Skat, which he sold in 2021. As of 2023, he owns a larger yacht named NORN, measuring 295 feet, designed by Espen Oeino and registered in the Cayman Islands.

Space missions

In early 2006, Simonyi showed interest in commercial space travel and signed an agreement with Space Adventures for a ten-day journey to the International Space Station (ISS).

He successfully passed a preliminary medical evaluation by the Russian Federal Space Agency in August 2006 and commenced training at Star City, Russia the following month. On April 7, 2007 (GMT), he launched aboard Soyuz TMA-10, traveling alongside two Russian cosmonauts to the ISS, returning on April 21, 2007 aboard Soyuz TMA-9.

Upon reaching the ISS on April 9, Simonyi described it as "amazing" and comparable to "a fantastic production." His return was postponed by one day due to landing conditions; he landed together with an American astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut.

In October 2008, he reserved a second trip to the ISS through Space Adventures on Soyuz TMA-14. He launched on March 26, 2009 and returned on April 8 aboard Soyuz TMA-13 with Soyuz Commander Yuri Lonchakov and astronaut Michael Fincke, landing in Kazakhstan.

Simonyi holds the distinction of being the second astronaut from Hungary, the fifth space tourist overall, and uniquely the only person to finance two self-funded spaceflights. Hungary's first space traveler was Bertalan Farkas in 1980. A subsequent Hungarian astronaut is anticipated to visit the ISS by 2025.

Amateur radio operations on the ISS

As a licensed amateur radio operator (call sign KE7KDP), Charles Simonyi utilized ham radio to communicate with schools during his missions aboard the International Space Station. The American Radio Relay League reported on April 11, 2007 that Simonyi had already established amateur radio contacts from space.

A notable communication occurred on April 17, 2007 when he connected with Cedar Point Elementary in Bristow, Virginia, accompanied by cosmonauts Oleg Kotov and Fyodor Yurchikhin. On March 30, 2009, he spoke with students at Girls' Middle School in Mountain View, California, commenting that returning to Earth made the atmosphere feel unusually dense. He regarded this student interaction as one of his day's highlights.

Using his Hungarian call sign HA5SIK, Simonyi attempted a record on April 12 by contacting 25 Hungarian amateur radio operators and former pupils of Tivadar Puskás Polytechnic in Budapest on April 13.

He is also a benefactor of The Museum of Flight in Seattle, supporting its Space Gallery which displays the NASA Shuttle Trainer along with other space-related artifacts.

In popular culture

Brian Lester took on the role of Simonyi in the television movie Pirates of Silicon Valley.

External links