"The greatest success goes to the person who is not afraid to fail in front of even the largest audience."
William Redington Hewlett was an American engineer and the co-founder, with David Packard, of the Hewlett-Packard Company.
Born: 20 May 1913, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
Died: 12 January 2001 (age 87 years), Palo Alto, California, United States
Co-Founder of Hewlett-Packard (HP) — Along with David Packard, Bill Hewlett started HP in a garage in Palo Alto in 1939. That garage is basically the birthplace of Silicon Valley.
Inventor at Heart — His first major invention was an audio oscillator, and it caught the attention of Walt Disney, who bought eight of them for the "Fantasia" movie production.
Military Service — Hewlett served as a U.S. Army officer during World War II, applying his engineering skills to develop military technology, showing once again that duty to country meant something back then.
The HP Way — He championed a management philosophy called "The HP Way," emphasizing respect for individuals, community responsibility, integrity, and innovation — principles that many modern companies love to talk about but rarely live by anymore.
Philanthropy — Bill Hewlett donated hundreds of millions through the Hewlett Foundation, focusing on education, environment, and global development. He understood that wealth came with responsibility — a concept a lot of today’s billionaires conveniently "forget."