Gordon Moore, the co-founder of Intel, passed away at the age of 94

Gordon Moore, a co-founder of Intel Corp. and a pioneer in the semiconductor industry whose “Moore’s Law” anticipated a continuous increase in computing power for decades, passed away on March 24 at the age of 94, the firm reported.

He passed away at his home in Hawaii, surrounded by family, according to Intel and the Moore family’s humanitarian foundation.

Of a trio of technical titans that co-founded Intel in 1968, Moore was the rolled-up-sleeves engineer that ultimately contributed to the inclusion of “Intel Inside” processors in more than 80% of all personal computers.

In a 1965 paper, Moore noted that since integrated circuits were created a few years earlier, the number of transistors on microchips had roughly doubled every year due to technological advancements.

“Moore’s Law,” which was later changed to every two years, was named after him and his expectation that the trend would continue. It encouraged Intel and other chip manufacturers to aggressively target their R&D budgets to ensure that the rule of thumb held true.

Rivals of Intel, like NVidia Corp., have argued recently that Moore’s Law is no longer valid because advancements in chip manufacturing have slowed down.

Nonetheless, current Chief Executive Pat Gelsinger has indicated he believes Moore’s Law still holds as the business invested billions of dollars in computers until the late 1980s, despite production hiccups that caused Intel to lose market dominance in recent years.

Because of Moore and Noyce’s leadership, Intel developed the microprocessors that would pave the way for the revolution of “personal computers.” Moore’s immense talent also motivated other engineers who worked for him.

Despite thinking of CEO Noyce and himself as equals, he served as executive president until 1975. Moore served as chairman and CEO from 1979 to 1987. From 1987 to 1997, he served as chairman.

His estimated net worth was $7.2 billion in 2023, according to Forbes magazine.

Longtime sport fisherman Moore travelled the globe to explore his love; he and his wife Betty established a foundation in 2000 that emphasised environmental problems.  Around $5 billion in Intel stock was donated by Moore to the organisation, which undertook initiatives like safeguarding the Amazon River basin and salmon streams in Canada, the US, and Russia.

In 2002, President George W. Bush awarded him the Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civilian honour.