Charles Wang

Life & Legacy

Charles B. Wang (Chinese: 王嘉廉; pinyin: Wáng Jiālián; August 19, 1944 – October 21, 2018) was a Chinese-American billionaire, businessman, and philanthropist, who was a co-founder and CEO of Computer Associates International, Inc. (later renamed CA Technologies). He was a minority owner (and past majority owner) of the NHL's New York Islanders ice hockey team and their AHL affiliate, as well as the owner of the New York Dragons of the Arena Football League.
In 1976, at age 31, Wang (pronounced "Wong") launched Computer Associates, using credit cards for funding. Wang then grew Computer Associates into one of the country's largest ISVs (independent software vendors). Wang authored two books to help executives master technology: Techno Vision (1994, McGraw-Hill) and Techno Vision II (1997, McGraw-Hill). Wang retired from Computer Associates in 2002. He was an active philanthropist, working with such organizations as Smile Train, the World Childhood Foundation, the Islanders Children's Foundation and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, among others. In January 2022, the new UBS Arena in Belmont, home of the New York Islanders, raised a plaque to honor Wang for all his work and dedication to the team. Wang's net worth was estimated to be $17.6 billion.