Key Takeaways
- • Bill Draper, a pioneering Silicon Valley venture capitalist and Atherton resident, died at his Atherton home on Sept. 8 at age 98, according to The Almanac.
- • Draper was an early investor in companies including Yahoo, Skype and Tesla, and co-founded Sutter Hill Ventures after launching Draper & Johnson Investment Company in 1962.
- • Draper served as president and chairman of the Export-Import Bank of the United States from 1981 to 1986 and headed the United Nations Development Program from 1986 to 1993.
- • His son Tim Draper and granddaughter Jesse Draper continue the family's venture capital presence, and the National Venture Capital Association praised his founder-partnership approach.
Summary
Bill Draper, the Silicon Valley venture capital pioneer, died at his Atherton, California home on Sept. 8, 2026. He was 98. According to The Almanac, he was an early investor in companies including Yahoo, Skype and Tesla over a career spanning decades. The Wall Street Journal reported the death under the headline noting him as a pioneering Silicon Valley venture capitalist.
Draper, born William H. Draper III on Jan. 1, 1928, in White Plains, New York, began his venture capital career in 1959 at his father's firm, Draper, Gaither and Anderson, which his father founded as the first West Coast venture capital firm. He and his wife, Phyllis, drove from Chicago to Palo Alto to start the venture. In 1962 he left to form Draper & Johnson Investment Company with partner Pitch Johnson, and three years later he founded Sutter Hill Ventures. Draper's 2011 book, "The Startup Game," described his firsthand experiences backing companies such as Skype, Apollo Computer, Hotmail and OpenTable.
Draper also held public roles. He ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 1967 against actress Shirley Temple Black, served as president and chairman of the Export-Import Bank of the United States from 1981 to 1986, and headed the United Nations Development Program from 1986 to 1993, overseeing nearly 10,000 international aid projects. He founded what became the Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation, which has made over 280 early-stage investments in information technology in India and the U.S. over the last 30 years. In 2018 he helped found The Mission Within, a supervised psychedelic therapy program for veterans.
His son Tim Draper, a venture capitalist who co-founded Draper Fisher Jurvetson, wrote on X that the family was fortunate to have him for as long as they did. The National Venture Capital Association said Draper embodied the traits of drive, integrity and vision he sought in founders. Draper is survived by his children Polly, Tim and Rebecca, and his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his wife Phyllis, to whom he was married for almost 65 years.
Draper, born William H. Draper III on Jan. 1, 1928, in White Plains, New York, began his venture capital career in 1959 at his father's firm, Draper, Gaither and Anderson, which his father founded as the first West Coast venture capital firm. He and his wife, Phyllis, drove from Chicago to Palo Alto to start the venture. In 1962 he left to form Draper & Johnson Investment Company with partner Pitch Johnson, and three years later he founded Sutter Hill Ventures. Draper's 2011 book, "The Startup Game," described his firsthand experiences backing companies such as Skype, Apollo Computer, Hotmail and OpenTable.
Draper also held public roles. He ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 1967 against actress Shirley Temple Black, served as president and chairman of the Export-Import Bank of the United States from 1981 to 1986, and headed the United Nations Development Program from 1986 to 1993, overseeing nearly 10,000 international aid projects. He founded what became the Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation, which has made over 280 early-stage investments in information technology in India and the U.S. over the last 30 years. In 2018 he helped found The Mission Within, a supervised psychedelic therapy program for veterans.
His son Tim Draper, a venture capitalist who co-founded Draper Fisher Jurvetson, wrote on X that the family was fortunate to have him for as long as they did. The National Venture Capital Association said Draper embodied the traits of drive, integrity and vision he sought in founders. Draper is survived by his children Polly, Tim and Rebecca, and his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his wife Phyllis, to whom he was married for almost 65 years.
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