Early Life and Education

Brendan Eich was born on July 4, 1961, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He pursued his undergraduate studies at Santa Clara University, earning a bachelor's degree in mathematics and computer science. Eich continued his education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he obtained a master's degree in computer science in 1985. (en.wikipedia.org)

Early Career

Eich began his professional career at Silicon Graphics, where he worked for seven years on operating system and network code. He then joined MicroUnity Systems Engineering, focusing on microkernel and DSP code. (en.wikipedia.org)

Netscape and Creation of JavaScript

In April 1995, Eich joined Netscape Communications Corporation with the initial goal of embedding the Scheme programming language into the Netscape Navigator browser. However, management directed him to create a language with a syntax similar to Java. In just ten days, Eich developed the first version of JavaScript, a language that combined elements of Scheme and Self with Java-like syntax. Initially named Mocha, it was later renamed LiveScript and finally JavaScript in December 1995. (en.wikipedia.org)

Mozilla Foundation

In early 1998, Eich co-founded the Mozilla project with Jamie Zawinski and others, establishing mozilla.org to manage open-source contributions to the Netscape source code. He served as Mozilla's chief architect. After AOL acquired Netscape in 1999 and subsequently shut down the Netscape browser unit in 2003, Eich played a pivotal role in creating the Mozilla Foundation to ensure the project's continuity. (en.wikipedia.org)

Leadership at Mozilla Corporation

In August 2005, Eich became the chief technical officer (CTO) of the newly formed Mozilla Corporation, the for-profit subsidiary of the Mozilla Foundation. He continued to oversee the development of Mozilla's JavaScript engine, SpiderMonkey, until he passed its ownership to Dave Mandelin in 2011. (en.wikipedia.org)

Appointment as CEO and Resignation

On March 24, 2014, Eich was appointed CEO of Mozilla Corporation. His appointment sparked controversy due to a 2008 donation he made in support of California Proposition 8, which sought to ban same-sex marriage. The revelation led to public outcry, including protests from Mozilla employees and users. After 11 days as CEO, Eich resigned on April 3, 2014, stating that under the circumstances, he could not be an effective leader. (en.wikipedia.org)

Brave Software

In 2015, Eich co-founded Brave Software, a company focused on enhancing online privacy. In January 2016, Brave released developer versions of its open-source, Chromium-based web browser designed to block advertisements and trackers. (en.wikipedia.org)

Basic Attention Token (BAT)

As CEO of Brave Software, Eich co-created the Basic Attention Token (BAT), a cryptocurrency integrated into the Brave browser to revolutionize digital advertising. BAT's initial coin offering (ICO) on May 31, 2017, raised $35 million. (en.wikipedia.org)

Philosophy and Vision

Eich advocates for user sovereignty and privacy by design, emphasizing that users should not be treated as products. He envisions a web free from intrusive ads and trackers, where users have control over their data. (build5nines.com)

Current Work and Impact

As of 2025, Eich continues to lead Brave Software, with the Brave browser reaching over 80 million monthly active users. The company is expanding into a full-stack decentralized cloud experience, integrating secure file storage, decentralized applications (dApps), and private search capabilities. (build5nines.com)