Henry T. Nicholas III

Henry Thompson Nicholas "Nick" III (b.1959), is an American communications technology businessman. [http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2008/06/05/ap5086781.html "Brief biography of Henry T. Nicholas III"] . - Associated Press. - (c/o "Forbes"). - June 05, 2008. - Retrieved: 2008-06-16] He co-founded Broadcom Corporation, an American supplier of integrated circuits for broadband communications. He was its President and Chief Executive officer from its inception in 1991 until January, 2003. [ [http://www.broadcom.com/company/timeline/?source=top Broadcom Company Timeline] . - Broadcom Corporation]

Nicholas is the primary funder of two "tough on crime" ballot initiatives, Proposition 6 and 9, for the California November 2008 election. [ [http://www.knbc.com/news/16733660/detail.html "Billionaire Supporter Of Anti-Gang Legislation Faces Drug Charges"] . [http://www.knbc.com KNBC Los Angeles] June 27, 2008] He is currently under indictment for felony drug, conspiracy, and securities fraud.Holson, Laura M. - [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/06/technology/06broadcom.html?bl&ex=1212897600&en=da02c25e6d56b662&ei=5087 "Former Chief of Broadcom Is Indicted"] . - "New York Times". - June 6, 2008] Reckard, E. Scott and Kim Christensen. - California | Local: [http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-fi-nicholas6-2008jun06,0,3694173.story "O.C. tech billionaire indicted"] . - "Los Angeles Times". - June 6, 2008. - Retrieved: 2008-06-16] The indictment included a slew of drug and sex related allegations summed up by the "The Times": "a sex cave", "fully stocked warehouse of drugs", and "a brothel’s worth of prostitutes on the payroll". [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article4083455.ece]

Nicholas is ranked number 195 on the 2007 list of Forbes' richest Americans, with a net worth of $2.3 billion. [ [http://www.forbes.com/lists/2007/54/richlist07_The-400-Richest-Americans_Rank_8.html The 400 Richest Americans] . - "Forbes". - Retrieved: 2008-04-25]

Early life and education

Nicholas was born in Cincinnati, Ohio to Marcella and Henry T. Nicholas Jr. At birth, he was the tallest baby born on record at Christ Hospital.Fact|date=June 2008 Stands 6 ft. 6 inches (1.98 m).

Nicholas lived in Glendale, Ohio until he was 4 years old. His father was an attorney with the IRS and his mother was a teacher and later an administrator at the Princeton School district in theatre. When his parents divorced, and he moved with his mother and sister Marsalee to Los Angeles, California, where his mother planned to get her Masters degree in drama from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). At UCLA, she met Bob Leach, her second husband, and Nick’s "real dad". Nicholas attended elementary schools in Malibu and Santa Monica High School.

Nicholas received a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the UCLA, after having attended the United States Air Force Academy, in Colorado Springs, Colorado, previously and then both a Masters Degree and Ph.d. in Electrical Engineering from UCLA. It was at UCLA that Nicholas met Dr. Henry Samueli, his future business partner.

Career

After graduating from UCLA in 1987, Nicholas worked at TRW in Redondo Beach, then went to PairGain Technologies in Cerritos, California, where he was director of Microelectronics. He left PairGain, which was later acquired by ADC Telecommunications, to co-found his own endeavor, Broadcom Corporation in 1991.

Broadcom

In 1991 Nicholas and Samueli each invested in $5,000 and worked out of Nicholas' Redondo Beach home, moving to Irvine four years later and took the firm public three years later in 1998.Citation | last = Reckard | first =E. Scott | last2 = Goffard | first2 = Christopher | title = Broadcom co-founder Samueli pleads guilty in stock options fraud case | newspaper = Los Angeles Times | year = 2008 | date = June 24, 2008 | url = http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-samueli24-2008jun24,0,3244548.story]

At Broadcom, Nicholas was President and Chief Executive Officer. [ [http://www.broadcom.com/press/release.php?id=374379 "Broadcom Announces Resignation of Dr. Henry T. Nicholas III as President and CEO"] . - Broadcom Corporation] He and his partner Dr. Henry Samueli made significant developments in wireless technology. Today, Broadcom makes semiconductors for wired and wireless communications enabling the networking of voice, video and data services.

He was known to enforce a dress code throughout the company, requiring employees to don business attire, unlike more relaxed Silicon Valley workplaces. [Dunn, Julie. - [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B06E2DB153AF931A35755C0A9649C8B63&scp=20&sq=henry+nicholas+broadcom&st=nyt "Henry T. Nicholas III; Of Metallica And the Business Suit"] . - "New York Times". - June 2, 2002. - Retrieved: 2008-04-25]

Nicholas resigned as Broadcom's CEO in 2003, saying that his resignation "was driven entirely by personal issues related to family separation and divorce". [Richtel, Matt. - [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F02E7DB1639F937A15752C0A9659C8B63&scp=8&sq=henry+nicholas+broadcom&st=nyt "Head of Broadcom Quits to Tend to Divorce"] . - "New York Times". - January 24, 2003. - Retrieved: 2008-04-25]

In June 2008, both Nicholas and William Ruehle, the former chief financial officer of Broadcom, were charged with improperly backdating stock options, forcing Broadcom to take a $2.2 billion write-down.

Current activities

Nicholas is a Distinguished Adjunct Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of California, Irvine. [ [http://www.socaltech.com/fullstory/0001193.html "Broadcom Founder Establishes Research Prize at UC Irvine"] . - socalTECH.com. - November 19, 2004]

Business awards

Nicholas was the recipient of an Orange County Titan Award, the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award for Electronics, was named as one of the Top 20 Entrepreneurs by Red Herring magazine and one of the World’s Top 50 Cyber Elite by Time Digital Magazine.

Other activities

Philanthropy

The Henry T. Nicholas, III, Foundation focuses on improving the quality of life through investments in education, youth sports, medicine, technology, law enforcement and national defense.Gittelsohn, John. - Money: [http://www.ocregister.com/money/nicholas-million-school-1903660-irvine-henry "Billionaire plans to give away $100 million"] . - "Orange County Register". - October 24, 2007]

Criminal justice

In 1983, while he was in graduate school, Nicholas' sister, Marsalee ("Marsy") was brutally murdered.Joseph, Brian. - News: Capitol Watchdog: [http://www.ocregister.com/news/nicholas-spitzer-victims-1986195-law-rights "Marriage of convenience?"] . - "Orange County Register". - February 22, 2008] Since then, he has been an advocate for criminal justice and with a focus on the rights of victims.

Nicholas has assisted his parents in expanding Justice for Homicide Victims, Inc., a non-profit organization that supports the victims of homicide. [ [http://www.justiceforhomicidevictims.net/memorial.html "Homicide Victims Memorial"] . - Justice For Homicide Victims] He was the 2005 recipient of the Ronald Reagan Award for Pioneering Achievement in Criminal Justice, and has been honored frequently by law enforcement organizations for his work supporting victims’ rights.

Education

Partnering with retired Judge Jack Mandel and the Episcopal Diocese, Nicholas announced that his education foundation will open "Academic Centers" in Orange and Los Angeles Counties to provide a safe and nurturing school environment to help high-potential, underprivileged students realize their educational goals. Nicholas pledged $10 million over 20 years for the first Nicholas Academic Center in Santa Ana, which opened in January.

In 2004, Nicholas announced a $10-million gift to St. Margaret’s Episcopal School in Orange County and the formation of a partnership with UC Irvine’s engineering school. [ [http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/news/story.jhtml?id=61500013 "Nicholas Foundation Awards $10 Million to St. Margaret's Episcopal School"] . - Philanthropy News Digest. - February 21, 2004]

Politics

In 2004, California voters were considering Proposition 66, which would have weakened California’s Three Strikes Law. Ten days before the election, polls indicated it was going to pass by as much as 75% of the vote. Nicholas became involved, supporting a bipartisan coalition of elected officials including past California Governors, celebrities and grass roots organizations, and personally speaking in television and radio spots, recounting the tragedy in his own family. The ballot measure narrowly lost. [Fox, Ben. - AP Interview: [http://www.threestrikes.org/ap_17.html "Three-strikes fight was 'wake-up call' for mogul"] . - Associated Press. - (c/o Three Strikes). - November 13, 2004] [ [http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-123904743.html "Broadcom Co-Founder Henry T. Nicholas, III, Donates Additional $1.5 Million for Final Media Campaign to Defeat Proposition 66"] . - PR Newswire. - November 2, 2004]

Personal

Nicholas married in 1987; he and his wife Stacey, a former electrical engineer, had three children. Holson, Laura M. - [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C01E3D71530F935A15755C0A9669C8B63&scp=4&sq=henry+nicholas+broadcom&st=nyt "Networking in Southern California; 'Anti-Silicon Valley' Broadcom Chief Rules in the Wired World"] . - "New York Times". - June 26, 2000. - Retrieved: 2008-04-25]

Drugs and alcohol

Nicholas has been linked to drugs and alcohol abuse in the last decade. In April 2008, he voluntarily checked himself into a Betty Ford clinic for alcohol abuse, as he struggled with a divorce and the passing away of his stepfather.Christensen, Kim. - [http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-nicholas19apr19,0,4401265.story "Broadcom Co-founder in Alcohol Rehab"] . - "Los Angeles Times". - April 19, 2008. - Retrieved: 2008-05-02]

He is currently under indictment for felony drug conspiracy (SA CR 08 - 00140, Central District of California, Southern Division).Flaccus, Gillian. - [http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gIvQsxm6Sd4_rJP67ES_aVe9fd7gD9141UDG0 "Broadcom co-founder faces drug, conspiracy charges"] . - Associated Press. - (c/o AP.Google). - June 5, 2008. - Retrieved: 2008-06-18] Nicholas is undergoing treatment at Cliffside Malibu while awaiting trial on federal charges of drug distribution and securities fraud.Gittelsohn,John. - [http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/homepage/abox/article_2070498.php "Broadcom billionaire bailed out into luxury rehab"] . - "Orange County Register". - June 18, 2008. - Retrieved: 2008-06-18]

He lives in Newport Coast, Newport Beach, California.

Alleged sex cave plans

In 2007, a construction team sued Nicholas, alleging he had failed to pay them for a proposed underground sex cave, where he could indulge his "manic obsession with prostitutes" and "addiction to cocaine and Ecstasy." [cite news
last= Christensen
first= Kim
url= http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-nicholas18jul18,0,7022711.story?page=1&coll=la-home-center
title= Billionaire sought secret lair for sex, drugs, complaint says
publisher= Los Angeles Times
date= July 18, 2007
accessdate=2008-05-01]

Indictment

In June 2008 Nicholas was indicted for felony drug, conspiracy, and securities fraud. [ [http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2008/0605082nicholas1.html "Billionaire Drug Bust"] . - The Smoking Gun]

References