Eyal Waldman co-founded Mellanox and sold it to NVIDIA for $6.9B. See the deal dates, his net worth question, Waldo Holdings and his life after Mellanox.
Eyal Waldman co-founded the chip and networking company Mellanox Technologies in 1999 and led it to a Nasdaq IPO in 2007. NVIDIA announced a $6.9 billion purchase of Mellanox on March 11, 2019 and closed it on April 27, 2020, according to Wikipedia. Waldman left the company in November 2020 and later founded Waldo Holdings.
Who is Eyal Waldman at a glance?
| Item | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Mellanox Technologies, founded May 1999 in Yokneam Illit with eight co-founders | Wikipedia |
| IPO | Nasdaq, 2007 | Calcalist |
| Sale | $6.9 billion to NVIDIA, announced March 2019, closed April 27, 2020 | Wikipedia |
| Mellanox 2019 revenue | $1.33 billion | Wikipedia |
| Departure | Left Mellanox in November 2020 | Calcalist |
| Since | Founded Waldo Holdings; joined the board of Pliops | Wikipedia, Calcalist |
How did Mellanox become part of NVIDIA?
NVIDIA bought Mellanox for $6.9 billion in a deal announced on March 11, 2019, and the transaction closed on April 27, 2020 after approvals from the European Union, the United States and China, per Wikipedia. Wikipedia also reports that Intel, Xilinx and Microsoft were willing buyers.
Mellanox was founded in May 1999 by former Intel and Galileo Technology executives including Waldman, Michael Kagan and others, according to the same entry. Kagan has been NVIDIA's chief technology officer since 2020, StartMag reported, and NVIDIA stopped using the Mellanox brand for new networking products. Olam covers what the deal became in NVIDIA Israel and the Mellanox legacy.
How much is Eyal Waldman worth?
Eyal Waldman's net worth is not publicly confirmed. Wikipedia reports that he received about $250 million from his 3.6% stake in Mellanox in the NVIDIA sale. Published net worth estimates vary widely and are not based on disclosed accounts, so Olam does not state a single figure.
What has Waldman done since leaving Mellanox?
After leaving, Waldman founded the investment company Waldo Holdings and joined the board of the Israeli startup Pliops, according to Calcalist. Calcalist also describes him as an Israel Prize laureate and has interviewed him about his efforts to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Waldman's youngest daughter, Danielle Waldman, and her boyfriend Noam Shai were killed at the Nova music festival during the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, per Wikipedia. Waldman told CNN that he found the car where it happened, Ynet reported. NVIDIA chief executive Jensen Huang sent a letter of condolence to NVIDIA's Israeli employees, according to Wikipedia. Waldman supports a two-state solution.
Why does Waldman matter to Israeli technology?
Waldman matters because Mellanox showed that an Israeli company could build core infrastructure for large computing clusters, not only software. NVIDIA's chief executive has credited the Mellanox acquisition as an important part of NVIDIA's growth, Calcalist reported. This is Olam's reading of what the exit meant for Israeli semiconductor founders.
Eyal Waldman FAQ
Who is Eyal Waldman?
Eyal Waldman is an Israeli entrepreneur who co-founded Mellanox Technologies in 1999 and sold it to NVIDIA for $6.9 billion, according to Wikipedia.
How much did NVIDIA pay for Mellanox?
NVIDIA paid $6.9 billion, announced on March 11, 2019 and closed on April 27, 2020, according to Wikipedia.
What is Eyal Waldman's net worth?
It is not publicly confirmed. Wikipedia reports he received about $250 million from his 3.6% stake in the sale.
What is Waldo Holdings?
Waldo Holdings is the company Waldman founded after leaving NVIDIA, according to Wikipedia.
Related Olam coverage: NVIDIA Israel, NextSilicon, Nir Zuk, Shlomo Kramer, Yossi Vardi, Udi Mokady and The Builders profile series.
בעברית
אייל ולדמן ייסד את מלאנוקס ב-1999 והוביל אותה להנפקה בנאסד"ק ב-2007. אנבידיה הודיעה ב-11 במרץ 2019 על רכישת החברה תמורת 6.9 מיליארד דולר, והעסקה נסגרה ב-27 באפריל 2020. ולדמן עזב את החברה בנובמבר 2020 והקים את ולדו הולדינגס.
How we report: Olam stories draw on public filings, company disclosures and named sources, checked by our editors. Read our methodology · Corrections
