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SecDB

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Adapted from the English Wikipedia article SecDB, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 8 August 2025
Michael Dubno
Born (1962-08-23) August 23, 1962 (age 64)
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Occupation(s)Inventor, computer scientist, explorer, video game developer
Known forDevelopment of SecDB at Goldman Sachs; exploration of Challenger Deep

Michael Dubno (born August 23, 1962) is an American inventor, computer scientist, explorer, and video game developer.

Early life and education

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Dubno later relocated to the Bronx, where he attended the Bronx High School of Science. During the 1970s, when computer access was scarce in schools, Bronx Science possessed an IBM 1620 and an HP 2000E, although it did not offer formal programming courses. Dubno independently learned to program on these machines, as well as on an IBM System/360 at nearby Lehman College until it was stolen in 1978, and on his personal North Star Horizon computer.

He began studies at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1981 but left during his freshman year.

In 1982, Dubno established Megasoft and launched the video game Megalegs for Atari platforms.

From 1984 onward, he engineered a robot capable of speech and movement, equipped with a functional arm, sonar navigation, and an infrared positioning system resembling GPS.

He currently operates a distinctive workshop within his Manhattan townhouse.

Goldman Sachs (1985–2005)

In 1985, Dubno joined Goldman Sachs under the recruitment of Fischer Black, who referred to him as "one of Fischer's grad students." He was the first front-office employee hired specifically for programming expertise. Within the Equity division, he developed trading platforms and tools utilized throughout the firm.

SecDB

After moving from Goldman's J. Aron currency and commodity unit in 1991, Dubno initiated SecDB (Securities DataBase) in 1992 to handle the swift expansion of unconventional, non-listed options in currencies and metals. Each option type demanded specialized contractual and mathematical attributes. Unlike traditional SQL databases, SecDB was designed as an object-oriented system tailored to this purpose. Its core datastore, SecServ, combined aspects of an immutable ledger with an object store, enabling global replication where every local instance functioned as a "master," a feature vital for currency trading operations.

SecDB advanced to perform risk calculations across diverse contracts. In 1993 and 1994, Kevin Lundeen and Glenn Gribble collaborated with Dubno to create Slang (Securities LANGuage), an interpreted language akin to Python that expedited reporting processes and facilitated the introduction of new objects. By 2017, Goldman Sachs maintained between 15 million and 40 million lines of Slang code.

The adoption of SecDB and Slang spread throughout Goldman's trading sectors—including Equities and Fixed Income—establishing them as the firm’s central risk management systems. This integration positioned Goldman Sachs at the forefront of technology-driven trading practices. SecDB was instrumental in strengthening Goldman's risk assessment capabilities before and during the 2008 financial crisis, contributing significantly to the firm's stability.

Gary Cohn, former president of Goldman Sachs, described SecDB as "such a competitive advantage." It has been recognized as "Goldman's most valuable software," referred to as the firm's "secret sauce," its "most valuable trading weapon," and praised as "unmatched at rivals," highlighting its critical role in trading technology strategy.

Internet

Dubno was an early advocate for Internet adoption at Goldman Sachs and spearheaded the development of the GS Financial Workbench—a comprehensive website designed for institutional clients. Launched in 1995, it ranked among the earliest advanced financial analysis platforms available online.

CTO & Partner

Dubno assumed the role of managing director in 1999, became a partner two years later in 2001, and was appointed Chief Technology Officer in 2002. He stepped down from his positions in 2005.

Bank of America (2010–2015)

In the aftermath of the 2008 financial meltdown, Bank of America completed its acquisition of Merrill Lynch in 2009. Both institutions operated without a unified risk management system, which led to Dubno’s recruitment in 2010 as CIO of Global Markets Technology at Bank of America. He successfully oversaw the technology integration between Merrill Lynch and Bank of America and introduced Quartz, a platform developed to emulate Goldman Sachs’ highly effective SecDB system.

Beyond managing Global Markets and Investment Research Technology, Dubno was responsible for Global Markets Operations, Firmwide Risk Technology, and served as co-leader of the Global Markets Quantitative Strategies team. After five years of service, he retired from Bank of America at the close of 2014.

Gadgetoff (2002-current)

In 2002, Dubno co-established Gadgetoff alongside his brother Daniel Dubno, an Emmy Award-winning producer and technologist. Gadgetoff organizes an annual gathering that brings together inventors, entrepreneurs, and innovators to explore business ideas and emerging trends within an interactive environment.

The event’s tagline, "Bringing the smart and the useless together," has drawn prominent speakers such as TED founder Richard Saul Wurman, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, inventor Dean Kamen, AI pioneer Marvin Minsky, DARPA director Tony Tether, iRobot founder Colin Angle, longevity expert Aubrey de Grey, video game creator Will Wright, and architect/toy designer Chuck Hoberman. Popular Mechanics has described Gadgetoff as the "world's greatest screwball science fair."

Inventions and art

United States Patent US4722053 – (1987) Developed jointly with Dan Dubno, this patent for a "Food service ordering terminal with video game capability" introduced interactive ordering technology to the food service sector, anticipating modern kiosks commonly found in airports and fast-food establishments.

United States Patent US2021/0058369 – (2020) Collaborating with co-inventors including Danny Hillis, this patent pertains to a "Secure Communications System" aimed at enhancing data security.

Sand table – An artistic yet functional piece integrating electromechanical mechanisms within a coffee table design. It employs a computer-controlled magnet to guide a steel ball bearing across sand, generating evolving patterns accessible through a web interface.

Tentalux – An interactive chandelier featuring six motorized light tentacles. Each tentacle operates independently, includes a camera for tracking objects, and supports control via Alexa, Google Home, or web interfaces. Its positions and animations can be saved and replayed.

Gyre – A kinetic mobile composed of paired umbrellas that move to display current and predicted rainfall. Initially designed for DarkSky, it is now housed at Applied Inventions in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Board membership and government

Together with David Siegel (computer scientist), Dubno co-founded and currently co-chairs NYC FIRST, an organization dedicated to promoting STEM education and FIRST robotics initiatives throughout New York City. NYC FIRST operates two STEM Centers that blend formal credit-bearing curricula with informal learning opportunities during school hours and beyond. These centers focus on underserved schools and communities lacking access to advanced tools and expert instruction.

  • Member of the Executive Advisory Board for FIRST.
  • Served on the CSforAll Board from 2016 to 2022.
  • Board member at Cerebellum Capital between 2009 and 2020.
  • Independent board member at Datapipe, a managed hosting provider acquired by Rackspace in 2017.
  • Board member at Tormach since 2021; Tormach specializes in compact CNC machinery and tooling solutions.
  • Served as acting CTO during Senator Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign.

North Pole

In 2018, Dubno played a key role in leading what was recognized as the "World's youngest scientific expedition to the North Pole," proudly carrying Explorers Club flag number 61. Operating from Camp Barneo, the team executed various scientific studies, including sampling water, snow, and ice to detect microplastics, alongside gathering environmental data that was subsequently shared with NASA's Ice Bridge program.

Masaya Volcano

During 2019, Dubno took part in a research expedition to the caldera of Nicaragua's Masaya Volcano, where he conducted several experimental activities such as:

  • Utilizing drones for thermal mapping
  • Employing a drone to collect SO2 samples
  • Sampling extremophile organisms

Challenger Deep, Mariana Trench

On March 3, 2021, Dubno became the eighteenth individual to reach the Challenger Deep within the Mariana Trench. Accompanied by pilot Victor Vescovo, he explored the northern section of the eastern pool while carrying Explorers Club flag number 61. Together with fellow explorer Richard Garriott, who was the seventeenth person to visit the Deep, they performed multiple experiments including:

  • Creating and deploying the deepest Geocache ever recorded
  • Gathering water and sediment samples to investigate piezophile microorganisms and microplastics
  • Collecting amphipoda specimens for microplastic contamination analysis
  • Conducting hydroforming of metal materials under extreme pressure conditions

Publications and awards

  • British Horological Institute: Co-discovered indications of a Lunar Calendar feature on the Antikythera Mechanism (2020)
  • ASME "Mentor Extraordinaire" Award recipient (2005)

See also

References

Related profiles

MMichael DubnoAArthur LevittLLloyd BlankfeinJJames J. Schiro
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