Henry Nicholas

Henry T. Nicholas III
Born	(1959-10-08) October 8, 1959 Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
Occupation	Entrepreneur
Known for	Co-founder of Broadcom Corporation

Henry Thompson Nicholas III (born October 8, 1959) is an American entrepreneur and co-founder of Broadcom Corporation, where he held the positions of co-chairman, president, and CEO. As of 2025, he is ranked as the 99th richest individual worldwide, with a net worth estimated at US$21.3 billion by Forbes.

Early life and education

Nicholas was born in Cincinnati, Ohio to Marcella and Henry T. Nicholas Jr. Following his parents' divorce, he relocated to Los Angeles with his mother and sister. His mother later remarried Robert Leach, a journalist and screenwriter in Hollywood. During his youth, Nicholas attended schools in Malibu and graduated from Santa Monica High School, overcoming challenges related to dyslexia.

He initially enrolled at the United States Air Force Academy but later transferred to UCLA School of Engineering, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering in 1982. He continued his education at UCLA, obtaining a Master’s degree in 1985 and a PhD in electrical engineering in 1998. His doctoral work laid the groundwork for the integrated circuit technology that became central to Broadcom’s products.

Early career

In the 1980s, after completing his undergraduate studies at UCLA, Nicholas worked at TRW located in Redondo Beach, California. It was there that he met Henry Samueli, then a UCLA engineering professor and future business partner. Subsequently, Nicholas served as director of microelectronics at PairGain Technologies in Cerritos. He departed from PairGain in 1991 to co-establish Broadcom Corporation alongside Samueli.

Broadcom

Broadcom Corporation was founded by Nicholas and Samueli in 1991 within Nicholas’ condominium in Redondo Beach. Both founders contributed $5,000 each to start the company, which went public seven years later in 1998.

Nicholas stepped down from his roles at Broadcom in 2003 to attend to personal priorities.

Philanthropy

In 2003, Nicholas and his wife launched the Henry T. and Stacey Nicholas Foundation aimed at supporting initiatives related to education, youth athletics, technology advancement, medical research, victims’ advocacy, and national security. Following their separation in 2006, the foundation was renamed The Henry T. Nicholas III Foundation.

The foundation inaugurated the Nicholas Academic Center in downtown Santa Ana, California in 2008 through a partnership with retired Orange County judge Jack Mandel. A second center was established in 2009 at Valley High School also located in Santa Ana.

In 2004, Nicholas contributed $10 million to St. Margaret's Episcopal School and fostered collaboration with the University of California, Irvine’s Henry Samueli School of Engineering to advance educational technology programs. He has also funded scholarships for students from Santa Ana and supports the Oakland Military Institute.

His philanthropic efforts extend to cultural organizations such as South Coast Repertory, the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, and the Orange County Performing Arts Center.

Personal life

Nicholas wed Stacey, a former electrical engineer, in 1987, and the couple had three children together. He is currently divorced and has since separated from subsequent partners Melissa Montero and Ashley Christine Fargo. His place of residence is Newport Coast, California. In April 2008, he sought treatment for alcohol dependency at the Betty Ford Center and completed his rehabilitation at Cliffside Malibu.

Criminal charges

In June 2008, Nicholas, along with other executives from Broadcom, faced indictments related to stock fraud and options backdating; additionally, he was charged with drug-related offenses. These allegations attracted considerable media coverage. By December 2009, Judge Cormac J. Carney dismissed the charges of stock fraud and options backdating, while the drug-related accusations were dropped in January 2010 due to claims of prosecutorial misconduct.

Nicholas was arrested again in August 2018 in Las Vegas on suspicion of drug trafficking after several drugs were discovered in his hotel room. In August 2019, he entered an Alford plea to two felony counts of drug possession. As part of the agreement, he committed to donating $1 million to a drug treatment initiative, completing 250 hours of community service, and participating in counseling sessions. In exchange, more severe trafficking charges were dropped and no prison time was pursued. Eventually, the case was dismissed.