Thomas Siebel

Thomas M. Siebel
Thomas M. Siebel
Born	November 20, 1952 (age 73); Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, technology executive, writer
Years active	1984–present
Known for	Founder of Siebel Systems; founder, chairman, and CEO of C3.ai; chairman of First Virtual Group
Notable work	Digital Transformation (2019)

Thomas M. Siebel (; born November 20, 1952) is a prominent American entrepreneur, technology expert, and writer. He is the founder of the enterprise software firm Siebel Systems and currently serves as the founder, chairman, and CEO of C3.ai, a leading company specializing in artificial intelligence software platforms and applications.

Additionally, Siebel leads First Virtual Group, a diversified holding company with interests spanning investment management, commercial real estate, agribusiness, and philanthropic efforts.

Early life and education

Born in Chicago, Siebel is the son of Arthur Francis Siebel, a Harvard-educated attorney, and Ruth A. (née Schmid) Siebel. He earned multiple degrees from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, including a Bachelor of Arts in history, an MBA, and a Master of Science in computer science. He was also awarded an honorary doctorate in engineering.

Business career

Between 1984 and 1990, Siebel occupied various managerial positions at Oracle Corporation. Following this period, he became CEO of Gain Technology, a multimedia software company that merged with Sybase in 1992. Siebel went on to establish Siebel Systems, where he held the roles of chairman and CEO until Oracle acquired the company in January 2006. Presently, he chairs First Virtual Group, which maintains a diverse portfolio.

Siebel Systems

Siebel Systems focused on creating, marketing, and supporting software for customer relationship management (CRM).

While at Oracle in 1989, Siebel suggested commercializing an internal sales automation tool named Oasis; however, Larry Ellison declined the proposal. Subsequently, Siebel left Oracle in 1993 to launch Siebel Systems. By 1999, it had become one of the fastest-expanding technology firms in the United States. Prior to its 2006 acquisition by Oracle, Siebel Systems employed more than 8,000 individuals across 32 nations, served upwards of 4,500 corporate customers, and generated annual revenues surpassing $2 billion.

Management philosophy

In 2019, Siebel initiated a program at C3.ai that fully covers employee expenses for obtaining the University of Illinois’s online Master of Computer Science (MCS) degree through Coursera. Graduates benefit from a 15% salary increase, receive a $25,000 cash bonus, and are granted additional stock options.

Honors and awards

Siebel has contributed as an advisor and board member at Stanford University, the University of Illinois, and University of California, Berkeley. He was a Trustee at Princeton University between 2008 and 2011. Moreover, he chairs the American Agora Foundation and serves on the board of Stanford's Hoover Institution. He founded both the Montana Meth Project and the Siebel Scholars Foundation. His philanthropic work earned him recognition from Barron's, which listed him among the top 25 philanthropists in both 2009 and 2010, as well as from BusinessWeek, which named him one of The 50 Most Generous Philanthropists in 2007 and 2008.

Philanthropy

In 2001, Siebel contributed $32 million to the Department of Computer Science at his alma mater, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, facilitating construction of the Siebel Center for Computer Science, inaugurated in 2004. In 2006, he endowed two professorships with $4 million: the Thomas M. Siebel Chair in the History of Science and the Thomas M. Siebel Chair in Computer Science. The following year, he pledged an additional $100 million to support the university.

The Siebel Foundation established the Siebel Energy Institute in 2015 to advance research related to data management for monitoring energy infrastructure. In 2016, Siebel provided $25 million for the creation of the Siebel Center for Design—a multidisciplinary facility spanning 60,000 square feet that opened in 2020. In 2024, he donated $50 million to create the Siebel School of Computing and Data Science at the University of Illinois.

Political engagement

In February 2022, Siebel provided a $90,000 donation supporting the Canada convoy protest, which opposed COVID-19 vaccine mandates and related restrictions. Later, in 2024, he made a $500,000 contribution to Donald Trump.

Personal background

Residing in Woodside, California, Siebel is married to Stacey Siebel, and together they have four children. He is also a second cousin once removed of Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the First Lady of California and spouse of Governor Gavin Newsom.

In 2022, Siebel was noted for having the highest personal carbon emissions among Americans due to private jet travel.

Elephant encounter

On August 1, 2009, during a visit to Tanzania, Siebel suffered serious injuries when an elephant charged first at his guide and then at him, causing multiple broken ribs and severe damage to his leg. After waiting three hours for assistance, he was airlifted to the Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi, where he was stabilized before being transferred to the United States. During the 20-hour flight, he received morphine for 10 hours and intravenous fluids for 15 hours before being admitted to intensive care.

Siebel underwent a total of 11 surgical procedures over six months at Stanford Hospital to mend his ribs, shoulder, and preserve his left leg. In September 2010, he faced 16 more operations, including one involving an Ilizarov apparatus to reconstruct his right tibia. After completing 19 reconstructive surgeries across two and a half years, he achieved full recovery. His ordeal was documented in National Geographic’s 2013 series Dead or Alive: Trampled on Safari.

Publications

Digital Transformation (2019)
"Digital Transformation: The Post-Industrial Utility" (Aspenia Magazine, June 2018)
"Why digital transformation is now on the CEO’s shoulders" (McKinsey Quarterly, December 2017)
"The Internet of Energy" (Electric Perspectives, March/April 2015)
"Big Data and the Smart Grid: Is Hadoop the Answer?" (Stanford Energy Journal, October 21, 2014)
Taking Care of eBusiness (2001)
Cyber Rules (co-authored with Pat House) (1999)
Virtual Selling (co-written with Michael Malone) (1996)

External links

First Virtual Group
- The Thomas and Stacey Siebel Foundation
C3.ai (previously C3 Energy, C3 IoT)
Dịch vụ diệt mối (VinPest)