Robert Denis Glaser (born January 16, 1962) is the founder of

RealNetworks RealNetworks LLC is an American technology company and provider of Internet streaming media delivery software and services based in Seattle, Washington. The company also provides subscription-based online entertainment services and mobile enter ...

, which produces

RealAudio RealAudio, also spelled Real Audio, is a proprietary audio format developed by RealNetworks and first released in April 1995. It uses a variety of audio codecs, ranging from low-bitrate formats that can be used over dialup modems, to high-fidelit ...

RealVideo RealVideo, also spelled as Real Video, is a suite of proprietary format, proprietary video compression formats developed by RealNetworks — the specific format changes with the version. It was first released in 1997 and was at version 15. RealV ...

RealPlayer RealPlayer, formerly RealAudio Player, RealOne Player and RealPlayer G2, is a cross-platform media player (software), media player app, developed by RealNetworks. The media player is compatible with numerous container file formats of the multimed ...

, and

Helix A helix (; ) is a shape like a cylindrical coil spring or the thread of a machine screw. It is a type of smooth space curve with tangent lines at a constant angle to a fixed axis. Helices are important in biology, as the DNA molecule is for ...

, among other products and services. Before founding RealNetworks, he worked for

Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company, technology conglomerate headquartered in Redmond, Washington. Founded in 1975, the company became influential in the History of personal computers#The ear ...

for ten years. Glaser, while chief executive of RealNetworks, clashed repeatedly with

Tony Fadell Anthony Michael Fadell (born March 22, 1969) is an American engineer, designer, entrepreneur, and investor. He was senior vice president of the iPod division at Apple Inc. and founder and former CEO of Nest Labs. Fadell joined Apple Inc. in 2 ...

, widely known as the Godfather of the iPhone and iPod, who then left the company after 6 weeks and went on to founding the products for Apple.

Education and Career

In 1983, Glaser graduated

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

with an BS degree in Computer Science and an MA in Economics. In 1984, Glaser began work at Microsoft. In 1994, he founded

Progressive Networks RealNetworks LLC is an American technology company and provider of Internet streaming media delivery software and services based in Seattle, Washington. The company also provides subscription-based online entertainment services and mobile enter ...

which became RealNetworks in 1997. Glaser served as CEO until 2010. Since June 2010, Glaser has been a partner at global venture firm,

Accel Partners Accel, formerly known as Accel Partners, is a global venture capital firm. Accel works with startups in seed, early and growth-stage investments. The company has offices in Palo Alto, California and San Francisco, California, with additional ope ...

, focusing on digital media technology, social media, and mobile service investments. He returned to RealNetworks again as interim CEO in 2012 and resumed the official title of CEO in 2014. In 2020 Glaser invested $10 million of his own money into the company to support its move into facial recognition technology.

Other Activities

On June 16, 2004, Glaser received the Music Visionary Award, along with EMI Vice Chairman David Munns, from the Music for Youth Foundation, and the United Jewish Appeal. Glaser was the 22nd largest individual donor to 527 groups in the 2004 US election, donating over $2.2 million to pro-Democratic organizations. He was the leading creditor to Air America Radio, loaning at least $9.8 million according to its bankruptcy filing. In addition, along with economist

Jeffrey Sachs Jeffrey David Sachs ( ; born November 5, 1954) is an American economist and public policy analyst who is a professor at Columbia University, where he was formerly director of The Earth Institute. He worked on the topics of sustainable develop ...

and public health expert Josh Ruxin, Glaser founded the Access Project, an NGO dedicated to improving health care in Rwanda by increasing management capacity at health centers. In 1999, Glaser established the Glaser Progress Foundation, "to build a more just, sustainable and humane world." From 2011 to 2015, foundation assets have shrunk from $9 million to $5.7 million; annual grants have shrunk from $1.5 million to $267,000; overhead and expenses have grown slightly from $455,000 to $525,000. In 2016, he set up a web site (PutinTrump.org) to monitor and report then-candidate

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

's connections to

Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, having previously served from 2000 to 2008. Putin also served as Prime Minister of Ru ...

References

External links

No. 41 Rob Glaser: Bit Streamer - Time Digital Top 50 (1999)

* ttps://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,1036321,00.asp RealNetwork's CEO Rob Glaser - interview by Lance Ulanoff writing for PC Magazine (April 21, 2003)*
Free Fall Radio: Air America Goes Bankrupt - Page 3 of the Chapter 11 filing from The Smoking Gun (October 13, 2006)
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Glaser, Rob 1962 births Air America (radio network) Living people 20th-century American Jews American technology executives Microsoft employees Yale University alumni 21st-century American Jews