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Jack Dangermond
Photo: United States Mission Geneva, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons16

Jack Dangermond

American billionaire businessman

Paul Jacob Dangermond (born July 23, 1945) bka Jack Dangermond is an American billionaire businessman and environmental scientist. He is the co-founder and president of the Environmental Systems Research Institute (Esri), a privately held geographic information systems (GIS) software company that he started with his wife Laura in 1969.2

From Wikipedia’s article on Jack Dangermond (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Born Jul 25, 1945.1

Net worth $14.1B (as of 2025, per forbes.com).17 Richest people

About

As of April 2026, his net worth was estimated at US$13.4 billion.

Dangermond, Esri's president, works at its headquarters in Redlands, California. He founded the company to perform land-use analysis; however, its focus evolved into GIS-software development, highlighted by the release of ARC/INFO in the early 1980s. The development and marketing of ARC/INFO positioned Esri with the dominant market share among GIS-software developers. Esri's flagship product, ArcGIS, traces its heritage to Dangermond's initial efforts in developing ARC/INFO.

Dangermond is the founder of GIS Day: an annual, worldwide event taking place since 1999 to celebrate accomplishments and to promote the use of GIS and its technology.

From Wikipedia’s article on Jack Dangermond, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.2

Companies

Early life and education

  • Date not recordedCalifornia State Polytechnic University, Pomona Bachelor of Science3
  • Date not recordedHarvard University Master of Landscape Architecture3
  • Date not recordedHarvard Graduate School of Design3
  • Date not recordedRedlands High School3
  • Date not recordedUniversity of Minnesota Master of Urban Planning3

Dangermond was born and raised in Redlands to Dutch immigrants: Peter Dangermond Sr. and Alice Meines. His parents owned a plant nursery in the town. Dangermond attended Redlands High School, and graduated in 1963.

Dangermond completed his undergraduate degree in landscape architecture at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. He then earned a Master in Urban Planning from the University of Minnesota and a Master of Landscape Architecture degree from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design in 1969. His early work in the school's Laboratory for Computer Graphics and Spatial Analysis (LCGSA) led directly to the development of Esri's ARC/INFO GIS software. He has been awarded 13 honorary doctoral degrees.

From Wikipedia’s article on Jack Dangermond (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Career

Occupation: businessperson, geographer.5

  • Date not recordedFounded Esri4

In May 1970, Dangermond collaborated with Kingsbury Elementary School, located in Redlands, on a landscape design involving planting a total of 300 trees for its school grounds.

In 2000, Dangermond was selected to be a fellow for University of California, Riverside's A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management.

From Wikipedia’s article on Jack Dangermond (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Personal life

  • BornJul 25, 1945, Loma Linda6
  • CitizenshipUnited States7
  • ResidenceRedlands8
  • SpouseLaura Dangermond9

Philanthropy

In 2005, Dangermond helped Duane Marble establish the American Association of Geographers Marble Fund for Geographic Science. The fund aims to advance GIScience education by providing awards to undergraduate and graduate student research. Awards include the "Marble-Boyle Undergraduate Achievement Award," "William L. Garrison Award for Best Dissertation in Computational Geography," and the "Marble Fund Award for Innovative Master's Research in Quantitative Geography."

In December 2017, Jack and Laura Dangermond donated $165 million to establish the Jack and Laura Dangermond Preserve on the Pacific coast, the largest ever gift to The Nature Conservancy.

Jack and Laura Dangermond have signed The Giving Pledge.

In January 2020, they donated $3 million to the Museum of Redlands fund.

From Wikipedia’s article on Jack Dangermond (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Awards

  • 2015Audubon Medal10
  • 2013Champions of the Earth10
  • 2011honorary doctor of the Clark University10 12
  • 2010Patron’s Medal10
  • 2007Carl Mannerfelt Gold Medal10
  • 1999Cullum Geographical Medal10
  • 1996John Wesley Powell Award10 11

Sources

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    WikidataNet worth