Tom Perkins, Silicon Valley venture capital pioneer, dies at 84

Money man:, Perkins played a major role in the formative years of the computer and biotech industries as a VC funder..

SAN FRANCISCO: Thomas Perkins, one of the founding fathers of Silicon Valley, died on Tuesday at age 84 at his home in Belvedere, California, according to the Marin County coroner's office.

As co-founder of the venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, Perkins played a major role in the formative years of the computer and biotech industries. The firm that bears his name went on to fund some of the biggest names of the internet era, including Google and Amazon.