Henry Nicholas III

Henry Nicholas III was born in 1959 and pursued engineering at UCLA, where he became a PhD student of Henry Samueli. His entrepreneurial instincts combined with technical depth made him a natural CEO candidate for a startup, and he co-founded Broadcom Corporation in 1991 with just $5,000. Nicholas served as President and CEO through the company's high-growth years in the late 1990s, overseeing dozens of acquisitions during the dot-com boom that expanded Broadcom's product portfolio rapidly. His tenure ended in controversy: he resigned in 2003 amid a corporate governance review that preceded the stock options backdating investigation, and was subsequently indicted on federal charges including securities fraud and drug distribution.

Henry Nicholas III co-founded Broadcom Corporation alongside Henry Samueli in 1991, contributing the startup's initial capital from his personal savings and serving as the company's first President and CEO. Under his leadership, Broadcom developed the DOCSIS cable modem chips that established its market position, went public in 1998 at a valuation that made both founders billionaires, and pursued an aggressive acquisition strategy during the dot-com era that built a broad networking and communications semiconductor portfolio. Nicholas's tenure also encompassed the period of corporate governance controversy that ultimately led to the stock options backdating investigation. He resigned from Broadcom in 2003. Federal charges against him, including securities fraud related to the options scandal and separate drug-related charges, resulted in a complex legal process that ended with his acquittal on most counts in 2009. Nicholas has subsequently been involved in philanthropy, including advocacy for traumatic brain injury awareness. His connection to the company that carries the Broadcom name today is historical rather than operational.