From his Tucson garage in the mid-1950s, Thomas Brown turned his love of transistors into a high-tech giant and multibillion-dollar powerhouse.
From his Tucson garage in the mid-1950s, Thomas Brown turned his love of transistors into a multi-billion-dollar electronics powerhouse and high-tech giant that he sold to Texas Instruments for $7.6 billion in 2000.
Brown and his founding partner Page Burr launched Burr-Brown in 1956 with $50,000 and the hope that they might one day employ 50 people. At its height, Burr-Brown had 1,200 employees and was regarded as leader in worldwide electronics manufacturing.
Brown never discussed his wealth and closely guarded his privacy, but when he died in 2002 at the age of 75, some estimated his net worth in the hundreds of millions, according to Star archives.
Contact reporter Cathalena E. Burch at cburch@tucson.com or 573-4642. On Twitter @Starburch
Cathalena E. Burch
Reporter
