Marc Russell Benioff (born September 25, 1964, in San Francisco, California) is an American internet entrepreneur, philanthropist, and the co-founder, chair, and CEO of Salesforce, a major cloud computing company. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, he displayed an early interest in computing, selling his first software program at age 15. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Southern California in 1986. Benioff began his career at Apple Computer as a junior account executive and later joined Oracle Corporation, becoming the youngest vice president in the company's history by age 26. In 1999, he co-founded Salesforce.com with Parker Harris, focusing on cloud-based customer relationship management (CRM) software, which revolutionized the enterprise software industry by shifting to subscription-based, accessible models. Under his leadership, Salesforce grew into one of the world's largest software companies, achieving a market capitalization exceeding $200 billion at its peak and pioneering the '1-1-1' philanthropy model, where the company donates 1% of its equity, product, and employee time to charitable causes. Benioff's influence extends beyond Salesforce; in 2018, he and his wife acquired Time magazine, marking a significant foray into media ownership. He also serves on the board of the World Economic Forum, advocating for ethical technology use and global issues like climate change. As a prominent philanthropist, he has committed billions through the Benioff Foundation to initiatives in children's health, environmental conservation, and homelessness, including major donations to the University of California, San Francisco for medical research. Married to Lynne Benioff since 1995, the couple has two daughters and resides primarily in the San Francisco area. Politically active, Benioff has supported Democratic causes and progressive policies, including LGBTQ+ rights and drug policy reform, while facing criticism for Salesforce's contracts with certain government entities. His net worth, estimated at over $10 billion, underscores his status as a key figure in Silicon Valley's influence networks.