Technology, Health, and Commentary by Steve Kirsch
Steve Kirsch is a Silicon Valley entrepreneur best known for inventing an early version of the optical mouse and founding pioneering companies such as Mouse Systems, Frame Technology, and the search engine Infoseek, which was acquired by Disney in 1999. Over his career, Kirsch has founded seven companies with a combined market capitalization exceeding $2 billion. His more recent ventures include Propel Software and Abaca.
Kirsch earned BS and MS degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT before launching his first startup in the early 1980s. His philanthropic efforts have included major donations to medical research, education, and political causes. In the 2020s, Kirsch became a controversial public figure for promoting skepticism about COVID-19 vaccines, leading to widespread debate over his influence and credibility. Despite controversy, his legacy in Silicon Valley as a product innovator remains significant, and his early technological contributions continue to shape modern computing and internet infrastructure.