Gary Burrell
| Gary Burrell | |
|---|---|
| Born |
1937 (age 78–79) Stilwell, Kansas |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater |
Wichita State University (B.S., Electrical Engineering) Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (M.S.) |
| Occupation | electrical engineer and entrepreneur |
| Known for | co-founder of the Garmin GPS company |
Gary Burrell (born 1937) is an American businessman, co-founder and chairman emeritus of Garmin, makers of popular Global Positioning System devices.
He earned a degree in Electrical Engineering from Wichita State University and a master's degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Along with partner Min Kao, Burrell founded Garmin in 1989 to make navigation devices for aviation and boating using the Global Positioning System. Their original office was two folding chairs and a card table. Some U.S. servicemen used Garmin GPS during the first Gulf War, even though Garmin never had a military contract. Later on, the technology was expanded for the U.S. market, providing directions across all United States roads and highways.
In 2007, Burrell ranked #114 on the Forbes 400 list of America's richest people. As of September 2013, his net worth was $1.4 B.
References
- "#114 Gary Burrell". Forbes.com. Retrieved Feb 5, 2008.
- "#371 Gary Burrell". Forbes.com. Retrieved Oct 11, 2013.