Spaceman Shuttleworth Finds Earthly Riches With Ubuntu Software
- Internet-of-things gives boost to Canonical founder’s fortune
- Clients of open-source Linux provider include Netflix, Tesla
Photographer: Mikhail Grachyev/AFP via Getty Images
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He’s best known for being the world’s first “Afronaut,” but since returning to Earth from his 2002 trip on Russia’s Soyuz TM-34 rocket ship, Cape Town native Mark Shuttleworth set about with the conquest of a much more lucrative universe: the internet-of-things.
Shuttleworth created Ubuntu, an open-source Linux operating system that helps connect everything from drones to thermostats to the internet. His company, Canonical Group Ltd., makes money from about 800 paying customers, including Netflix Inc., Tesla Inc. and Deutsche Telekom AG, which pay for support services. Its success has helped boost his net worth to $1 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.