
Image source: www.ted.com
An Australian billionaire and co-founder of the software startup Atlassian, Michael Cannon-Brookes was born on November 17, 1979. After he and his business partner Scott Farquhar created Atlassian with the intention of obtaining the then-typical graduate starting salary of A$48,000 at the major businesses without having to work for someone else, Cannon-Brookes frequently carries the moniker "accidental billionaire."
Mike Cannon-Brookes and his wife Helen had Cannon-Brookes in November 1979. Mike is a multinational banking executive. On a UNSW Co-op Scholarship, he attended Cranbrook School in Sydney and earned an information systems degree from the University of New South Wales.
Cannon-Brookes is a co-founder and co-CEO of the collaborative software business Atlassian along with Scott Farquhar. The couple founded the business in 2002, not long after they received their university degrees, and they funded it with credit cards.
Additionally, he teaches as an adjunct professor in the School of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of New South Wales. In 2004 and 2006, Cannon-Brookes and Farquhar received awards for Australian IT Professional of the Year and Australian Entrepreneur of the Year, respectively. Cannon-Brookes is a member of The Forum of Young Global Leaders and was recognized by the World Economic Forum in 2009 as a Young Global Leader.
It was reported in September 2020 that Cannon-Brookes was listed on the "Overseas Key Individuals Database" of well-known foreign figures of importance for China, demonstrating his prominence in the Australian technological and industrial scene. Cannon-Brookes is a frequent commenter on Australian public policy. He has worked with the Australian Government on several occasions and has openly offered to help with energy and technology policy problems.
Along with Ryan Smith, a cofounder of Qualtrics, Cannon-Brookes acquired a small share in the NBA team Utah Jazz in December 2020.
It was revealed in March 2022 that he and Twiggy Forrest had invested in the SunCable project, which aimed to construct a solar and battery farm measuring 12,000 hectares (120 km2) at Powell Creek and a power cable connecting it to Singapore (via Indonesia) before leaving Australia at Murrumujuk beach.
It was reported that he was attempting to acquire the Australian energy provider AGL in May 2022 with the goal of accelerating the company's planned switch to green energy.
Born:
17 November
New Haven, Connecticut, United States
Career:
co-founder, and co-CEO of the software company Atlassian
Net Worth:
8.6 billion USD