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Bob Kahn Net Worth | Biography

Bob Kahn Net Worth – $4 million

What is Bob Kahn’s net worth?

Introduction

Every generation comes with its own array of revolutionary inventors.

From Graham Bell’s creation of the telephone to Edison’s iteration of the light bulb, these names advance society forevermore.

While many must now be relegated to historical textbooks, one living legend still walks among us – Bob Kahn, Father of the Internet.

Creating a system as complex as the internet may not have been an individual affair, but Kahn’s contributions cannot be underestimated.

Without his efforts, our everyday life would lack the worldwide community available with the press of a button.

But before Bob Kahn became the Father of the Internet, he needed a father of his own to nurture his scientific interests.

Sparking an Interest in the Internet

While the rest of New York welcomed Christmas, the Kahn family had another reason for celebration.

On December 23, 1938, Beatrice Pauline and Lawrence Kahn gave birth to their first baby boy: Robert Elliot Kahn.

Kahn would remain anchored in Brooklyn throughout his education.

He would, however, discard his birth name in lieu of the more affable “Bob.”

When it came time to select a college, Kahn enrolled in the City College of New York.

His dream?

To put his passion for telecommunications to use.

Four years later, Kahn had refined his interest into a skillset.

In 1960, the City College of New York awarded Kahn with a B.E.E. in Electrical Engineering.

Kahn, however, could not yet rest on his laurels. Instead, he set his sights on a higher degree – one only an ivy league could provide.

One application to Princeton University later, and Kahn had the opportunity he sought.

Four years of work amounted to two degrees – one, an M.A. and the other, a PhD.

Both degrees furthered his understanding of electrical engineering. Now, Princeton had nothing left to offer him.

With his education completed, only one objective remained: procure employment.

Plugging In His Passion

While his education afforded him countless offers, Kahn knew where to start his work: at Bolt Beranek and Newman Inc.

This corporation specialized in the understanding and innovation of technology.

In 1965, Kahn signed on as a member of their research and development team.

His experience here led him to a more promising opportunity in 1972: the Information Processing Techniques Office (or “IPTO”).

While the office’s mission resembled Kahn’s former employers’, their funding enabled team members to build more and budget less.

That kind of cash only comes from deep pockets – specifically, the government. DARPA, the United States Department of Defense, spearheaded this project to ensure America’s money was not wasted.

To their relief, Kahn had a revelation: what if computers could be linked between telephone lines?

This concept created the ARPANET – a packet-switching technology that revolutionized the Pentagon’s communications and, soon, all of cyberspace.

But Kahn could not settle for the creation of the ARPANET alone.

This production propelled him towards two additional, technological advancements: the Transmission Control Protocol (or “TCP”) and the Internet Protocol (or “IP).

With three big-hitting innovations under his belt, Kahn had earned the attention of his higher-ups.

Before long, Kahn was calling the shots as the newly-appointed director of the IPTO.

His unprecedented success allowed him to pursue a passion project.

Kahn launched the Strategic Computing Initiative, a government-funded research initiative for artificial intelligence, in 1983.

One billion dollars and one decade later, the project was deemed a smashing success.

With thirteen years of service to DARPA completed, he departed from their employment to found his own company.

In 1986, Kahn created the Corporation for National Research Initiative (or “CNRI”).

Together with his corporation, Kahn continues to improve the internet. ”We have to keep evolving the Internet,” Kahn said in an interview.

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Wife

Bob Kahn is as singularly focused in his love life as he is in his work life.

He has devoted himself to one woman his entire life: Patrice Ann Lyons.

While the details of their budding romance or their eventual marriage remain a mystery, Lyons herself has shared her husband’s spotlight.

Lyons works as the General Counsel of the CNRI and as a scientist herself.

The two have never borne a child together.

They prefer to keep their personal lives private and never disclose any information about them to the public.

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Bob Kahn – Net Worth

So, how much is Bob Kahn worth? How has he acquired such a fortune? The numerous inventions he has created continue to pour money into his coffers.

Intellectual Property allows you to earn funds each time someone utilizes it – and creating the internet itself is something used every day by every device.

But his inventions themselves are not the only source of his income.

Those inventions have caught the eye of people with impressive pocketbooks.

Donors have lavished Kahn with countless awards to match his contributions to society.

Each of these prizes comes paired with a sizable grant that benefits both Kahn and his research.

His most recent honor, the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering, came with a 500,000-pound reward.

Despite his indisputable success, Kahn has yet to retire. Instead, he continues to work a full-time position as the head of his own company: the CNRI.

While his salary at the CNRI has never been disclosed, it is undoubtedly sizable. The net worth of the CNRI itself is $1.37 billion, which makes its founder is flooded with funds.

The company he co-founded with Vint Cerf, the Internet Society, also helps funnel more money into his wallet.

His salary has never been shared, but the company’s net assets amounted to $49 million in 2019.

Therefore, American electrical engineer Bob Kahn has an estimated net worth of $4 million.

New York, Same Man

Kahn could not resist the siren song of his home state, despite his countless travels elsewhere.

While he didn’t return to his hometown of Brooklyn, Kahn and Lyons still reside together in New York City, New York.

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