Early Life
Robert W. Duggan was born in Oakland, California, in 1944. He grew up as the third of five children in a lower-middle-class household in San Jose, California. His father was an industrial engineer, and his mother was a nurse. Duggan attended St. Francis High School in Mountain View, California, where he was the football team captain. He later studied economics at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and business management at the University of California, Los Angeles, though he did not complete a degree.
Rise to Success
Duggan's entrepreneurial journey began in 1971 with investments in various startups. He experienced early success with businesses such as a cookie bakery and a craft company. In the late 1990s, he became CEO of Computer Motion, a company specializing in robotic surgical systems. His most significant achievement came with his investment and leadership at Pharmacyclics. He became the CEO of the company in 2008 and oversaw the development of Imbruvica, a breakthrough cancer drug. Under Duggan's leadership, Pharmacyclics was sold to AbbVie in 2015 for $21 billion.
Key Business Strategies
Duggan's key strategies revolve around identifying and investing in companies with high potential. He has a history of taking leadership roles in companies, as seen with Pharmacyclics and Summit Therapeutics. Duggan is known for his ability to turn around struggling companies. His investment approach often involves taking significant ownership and actively participating in the company's strategic direction.
Philanthropy
Duggan is actively involved in philanthropy and has donated to various organizations. He is a major donor to the Church of Scientology, with donations exceeding $360 million. Duggan has also supported educational endeavors, including athletic departments and faculty chair positions at the University of California, Santa Barbara.