**Sir Michael Moritz: The Remarkable Journey of the Richest Welshman in History**
Sir Michael Moritz, a name that’s seldom seen in the media, continues to hold the title as the wealthiest person Wales has ever produced—a testament to a remarkable journey from humble beginnings in Cardiff to the upper echelons of global wealth. His estimated fortune, now at £4.435 billion alongside his wife, American writer Harriet Heyman, places him not just at the top in Wales, but 40th across the entire United Kingdom, according to the latest figures. Despite some annual fluctuations, their substantial fortune remains firmly intact among the UK’s wealthiest families.
Moritz’s story traces back to his birth in Wales’s capital to parents who were themselves no strangers to hardship. Both Jewish refugees fleeing Hitler’s Nazi Germany, the Moritz family rebuilt their lives in Cardiff, where Sir Michael’s father secured a post as a classics professor at Cardiff University, later rising to the role of vice principal in the 1970s. These formative experiences of displacement and the sense of being an outsider heavily influenced Moritz’s perspective growing up in a tight-knit, working-class Welsh community.
In interviews, Moritz has reflected on his upbringing in Cardiff, describing a childhood marked by financial constraints and a feeling of distance from the nation’s economic centres. Many of his peers had parents facing unemployment or reliant on part-time work, and London’s bustling world seemed a distant dream rather than an imminent reality. These early challenges, however, also instilled in him a sense of resilience and ambition that would later shape his extraordinary career path.
He attended Howardian High School before earning a place at Oxford University. After completing his studies in England, Moritz chose to embark on a new adventure in the United States, beginning his career as a journalist with the prestigious Time magazine. It was in this role that Moritz was granted access to a then-unfamiliar technology outfit—Apple Inc.—and its mercurial founder, Steve Jobs. Moritz became the first writer to chart the early rise of what would become one of the world’s largest companies.
However, Moritz’s professional relationship with Jobs soured following disputes over editorial decisions in Time magazine. A 1983 Man of the Year feature involving Jobs became a flashpoint, with Jobs reportedly furious over the magazine’s portrayal. This episode fundamentally shifted Moritz’s outlook, making him resolve never to place his professional fate in others’ hands again. He publicly recounted how this forced him to seek roles where he could exert greater control over his own output and future.
This disillusionment with journalism proved pivotal, spurring Moritz’s switch into venture capital. He joined Sequoia Capital in 1986 and went on to play an instrumental role in backing some of the most transformative technology companies of our time—Google, PayPal, YouTube, LinkedIn, Yahoo! and more. It’s difficult to grasp just how prescient Moritz’s investment eye has been; the Welshman’s portfolio reads like a who’s-who of the digital revolution.
Outside financial circles, Moritz is also recognised for his philanthropy and cultural contributions. In 2013, he was knighted for services to promoting British economic interests and charitable causes. He and his wife have pledged significant portions of their wealth to good causes, including record-setting donations to Oxford University and scholarships seeking to widen access for disadvantaged students. In 2008, they gave $50 million to Christ Church, Oxford, and in 2012 offered a landmark £75 million to help underprivileged undergraduates.
Moritz has also reconnected with his literary roots in recent years, co-authoring ‘Leading: Learning from Life and My Years at Manchester United’ with Sir Alex Ferguson in 2015. Politically, he has supported initiatives like the Lincoln Project in the United States, and received honorary fellowships from both Cardiff and Aberystwyth Universities in recognition of his outstanding achievements.
As of 2023, Moritz left Sequoia Capital after 38 years—a remarkable tenure that helped transform the world’s technology landscape. Yet despite his immense success and adoption of life abroad, Sir Michael Moritz stands as an enduring symbol of the innovation, tenacity, and generosity that the Welsh diaspora has contributed to the global stage. His story, from modest beginnings in Cardiff to a literal billionaire, continues to inspire many not just in Wales but across the worldwide business community.