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Host Kai Ryssdal visits Sun Microsystems founder Scott McNealy in the latest Conversation from the Corner Office. McNealy talks about how his company has been able to compete with Microsoft and IBM on a much smaller budget.

Executive Snapshot

Who: Scott McNealy, founder and chairman of Sun Microsystems. Stepped down as CEO of the company in April 2006, after serving for 22 years. Started the company in 1982, with three other friends from Stanford University. He was 27 years old.

First paying job: Washing cars and sweeping the parking lot for $1.75 an hour at Roger Penske’s Chevrolet dealership in Southfield, Mich.

Education: B.S. in Economics from Harvard; MBA from Stanford.

What you may not know: McNealy was captain of his high school tennis team that won the Michigan state championship in his senior year.

Personal: He was born in 1954, and is married with four children.

Related Links

Part 2: What really matters in Sun’s corner office

Scott McNealy’s bio

Full interview transcript

Sun Microsystems company history

Conversations From the Corner Office
More Marketplace interviews with corporate leaders.

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