Benjamin Franklin duPont is an American businessman known for founding the company yet2.com and yet2Ventures. He is a member of the prominent

Du Pont family The du Pont family () or Du Pont family is a prominent American family descended from Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours (1739–1817). It has been one of the richest families in the United States since the mid-19th century, when it founded its f ...

. He co-founded and is a partner at Chartline Capital Partners.

Career

In 1986 duPont began working for the DuPont corporation, a company the du Ponts founded in 1802. He held various management positions in the company over 13 years. In 1999, he left DuPont to cofound yet2.com with Phillip Stern, a U.S. patent distribution firm located in

Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As part of the Boston metropolitan area, the cities population of the 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the fourth most populous city in the state, behind Boston, ...

. DuPont serves as the company's president. After a year of development the firm had raised $24 million in financing and was described as a "quasi-clearinghouse for technology developed by corporations" by ''

Forbes Magazine ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also repo ...

'', where both inventors and companies can post their patents for sale or lease to other firms. In December 2002, yet2.com was acquired by Scipher, but the next year duPont reacquired it from Scipher and became its executive director. The website had grown into the world's largest open innovation platform. A venture capital firm, yet2Ventures, remained independent after being incubated at yet2.com. yet2Ventures has specialized in investments in medical devices, electronics, materials science, clean tech, and other technology. The company has offices in

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- most p ...

, Tokyo, and

Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington (Lenape: ''Paxahakink /'' ''Pakehakink)'' is the largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish settlement in North America. It lies at the confluence of the Christina ...

. In 2010, yet2Ventures completed a transaction with the Japan Asia Investment Corporation relating to its U.S. venture portfolio. Over the years his firm has invested in more than 40 U.S. companies. and a number of secondary direct and primary transactions. DuPont has served as a director of Vianix, Speakman,

Longwood Gardens Longwood Gardens is a botanical garden that consists of over 1,077 acres (436 hectares; 4.36 km2) of gardens, woodlands, and meadows in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, United States in the Brandywine Creek Valley. It is one of the premier ...

Inc., Gigsky, Inc, and

Bessemer Trust Bessemer Trust is a private, independent multi-family office that oversees more than $140 billion for over 2,500 families, foundations and endowments. Founded in 1907, the firm has its headquarters in New York City, with 19 regional offices elsew ...

Delaware. Since 2008 he has been a member of the board of the directors for MSCI. He is also chairman of the board for Mobeam Inc., headquartered in California's

Silicon Valley Silicon Valley is a region in Northern California that serves as a global center for high technology and innovation. Located in the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area, it corresponds roughly to the geographical areas San Mateo County ...

. and a board observer of Ecrio. In 2015, he co-founded Zip Code Wilmington, a nationally recognized nonprofit coding boot camp in Wilmington. In April 2018 duPont and business partner Don Wirth announced plans to purchase the DuPont Country Club (constructed 1921 in Wilmington) from

DowDuPont DuPont de Nemours, Inc., commonly shortened to DuPont, is an American multinational chemical company first formed in 1802 by French-American chemist and industrialist Éleuthère Irénée du Pont de Nemours. The company played a major role in ...

. DuPont and Wirth plan to modernize the club.

Family

Benjamin Franklin duPont was born in 1964. His father was Pierre S. du Pont IV, Republican U.S. Representative and

Governor of Delaware A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political r ...

from 1977 to 1985. He graduated from

Tufts University Tufts University is a private research university on the border of Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1852 as Tufts College by Christian universalists who sought to provide a nonsectarian institution of higher learning. ...

with a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering in 1986. In August 2001, Ben married Laura Leigh Lemole, a jewelry designer, at her parents' summer home in

Cumberland, Maine Cumberland is a town in Cumberland County, Maine. The population was 8,473 at the time of the 2020 census. It is part of the Portland metropolitan area, Maine. Cumberland is one of the wealthiest municipalities in the state. History Cumberla ...

. They have two children. DuPont's brother-in-law, G. Michael Lemole Jr., is a neurosurgeon who operated on Arizona congresswoman

Gabby Giffords Gabrielle Dee Giffords (born June 8, 1970) is an American retired politician and gun control advocate who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives representing from January 2007 until January 2012, when she resigned ...

after she was shot in the head in 2011. His sister-in-law is Lisa Lemole Oz, wife of

Mehmet Oz Mehmet Cengiz Öz (; born June 11, 1960), known professionally as Dr. Oz (), is an Turkish American former professor of cardiothoracic surgery at Columbia University, television presenter, author and former political candidate. The son of Tu ...

. DuPont's niece is

Daphne Oz Daphne Nur Oz (born February 17, 1986) is an American television host, food writer, and chef. She was one of five co-hosts on the ABC daytime talk show ''The Chew'' for the show's first six seasons and was a co-host of the syndicated talk/cookin ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:duPont, Ben American technology chief executives 1964 births Ben duPont Living people Tufts University School of Engineering alumni 20th-century American businesspeople 21st-century American businesspeople