Key facts
- Benjamin Rosen, a key figure in venture capital and tech investment, has died at 93.
- He was instrumental in taking Apple public through Morgan Stanley.
- Rosen co-founded Sevin Rosen Funds and provided early financing to Compaq Computer Corporation.
- He served as Chairman of Compaq for 18 years.
- His investments included early backing for Lotus Development, Electronic Arts, and Silicon Graphics.
Benjamin Rosen, a pioneering venture capitalist and former chairman of Compaq Computer Corp., died on August 23, 2026, at the age of 93. Rosen was a significant figure in the early growth of the personal computer industry, known for his advocacy of Apple on Wall Street and his crucial early investments in tech startups.
Rosen spent 15 years on Wall Street, concluding his tenure as a Senior Technology Analyst and Vice President at Morgan Stanley. In this role, he championed personal computers, notably bringing Apple Computer Inc. to Morgan Stanley for its initial public offering in December 1980. He famously used an Apple II to demonstrate the technology's potential to skeptical clients.
In 1981, Rosen co-founded the venture capital firm Sevin Rosen Funds with L.J. Sevin. The firm raised $25 million for its first fund, which invested in companies such as Compaq, Electronic Arts, Lotus Development, and Silicon Graphics. Rosen provided $20,000 in seed funding to three engineers who would go on to found Compaq, based on a prototype design sketched on a placemat.
As Chairman of Compaq from 1982 to 2000, Rosen played a key role in the company's rise to become the world's largest personal computer manufacturer in the 1990s. He also served as acting CEO for a period in 1999. His other investments included Electronic Arts, Lotus Software, and Silicon Graphics.
Rosen received numerous accolades for his contributions, including the IEEE Founders Medal in 1999 and distinguished alumni awards from the California Institute of Technology, where he was also a major donor and chair emeritus of its Board of Trustees.