Early Life and Education
Michael J. Saylor was born on February 4, 1965, in Lincoln, Nebraska. His childhood was marked by frequent moves due to his father's career in the U.S. Air Force, spending time on various Air Force bases around the world. He graduated as valedictorian from high school. Saylor pursued higher education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he earned dual degrees in Aeronautics and Astronautics, and Science, Technology, and Society. He graduated with highest honors in 1987.
Rise to Success
In 1989, at the age of 24, Saylor co-founded MicroStrategy with Sanju Bansal and Thomas Spahr. The company initially focused on data mining but later pivoted to business intelligence software. Under Saylor's leadership, MicroStrategy became a leading provider of analytics software, and went public in 1998. His business acumen led him to become a billionaire by early 2000.
Key Business Strategies
A pivotal shift occurred in 2020 when Saylor, as CEO of MicroStrategy, announced the company would invest in Bitcoin as its primary treasury reserve asset. This strategic decision transformed MicroStrategy into one of the largest corporate holders of Bitcoin. Saylor stepped down as CEO in 2022 but remained as Executive Chairman, focusing on Bitcoin strategy and advocacy.
Philanthropy
Saylor established The Saylor Foundation (later Saylor Academy) in 1999, which offers free online education. Saylor Academy provides a wide array of college-level courses to millions of students worldwide.