Early Life
Robert Ralph Parsons was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on November 27, 1950. He had a challenging upbringing, facing financial difficulties due to his parents' gambling habits and struggling in school. After nearly flunking out of high school, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps.
Rise to Success
Parsons served in the Vietnam War, earning a Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, and the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry. Following his military service, he graduated magna cum laude from the University of Baltimore with an accounting degree in 1975. In 1984, he founded Parsons Technology, a software company, which he later sold to Intuit for $64 million in 1994. In 1997, he founded Jomax Technologies, later renamed GoDaddy, which became a leading domain registrar and web hosting company. Parsons stepped down as CEO of GoDaddy in 2011 and as Executive Chairman in 2014, selling his remaining stake in 2018.
Key Business Strategies
Parsons is known for his direct and often controversial marketing strategies, including racy Super Bowl commercials for GoDaddy. He focused on simplifying domain registration and web hosting. He also established an Arizona-based umbrella company, YAM Worldwide, for his ventures in real estate, motorcycle dealerships, and golf. In 2014, he founded PXG (Parsons Xtreme Golf), which manufactures high-performance golf equipment.
Philanthropy
Bob and his wife, Renee, founded The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation in 2012. The Foundation has awarded over $296 million to more than 160 partner organizations, focusing on areas such as disaster relief, veterans' support, and local charities in the Phoenix area. They signed The Giving Pledge in 2013, committing to donate at least half of their wealth to charity.