OC 50: TECHNOLOGY

Orange County Business Journal, Apr 28-May 4, 2008

Samueli, engineer, former UCLA professor, oversees research.

Turned down chief executive job upon Nicholas' 2003 exit to stay focused on research.

Worked at PairGain, TRW in 1980s. Started Broadcom in 1991. Recruited best engineering students to work at company while at UCLA.

Bachelor's, master's, doctorate in electrical engineering from UCLA. Described as engineering genius.

In 2005, he, wife Susan bought Anaheim Ducks hockey team from Walt Disney for about $70 million. Team was 2007 Stanley Cup winner. Lost in playoffs this year. Packed crowds at home games.

Also owns company that runs Honda Center, home to Ducks.

Hockey helps manage stress, Samueli says. Born in hockey-crazy Buffalo, called himself "lousy skater."

Philanthropic billionaire. Gave $30 million to UCLA. Almost same amount to UCI. Both universities named engineering schools after him. Had big hand in moving Broadcom HQ to University Research Park alongside UCI, recruits engineers from school.

Performing Artscenter, Ocean Institute, Jewish Federation of OC, Shoah Foundation, University Synagogue also beneficiaries.

Dabbles in politics. Gives primarily to Republicans, some Democrats.

Parents, Aaron, Sala, were Holocaust survivors from Poland. Met after war. Came to America in the 1950s, moved to California. Family ran liquor store on Whittier Boulevard, where Samueli worked as teen.

Understated, moderate. Likes hiking, basketball, skiing. Wife Susan big supporter of alternative medicine; UCI's Susan Samueli Center for Integrative Medicine named for her.

Three children.

-Sarah Tolkoff

VINCENT "VINNY" COBURN SMITH JR.

Chairman, chief executive

Quest Software Inc.

Born in Baltimore, Feb. 8, 1964

Lives in Newport Beach

Heads county's largest publicly traded software maker.

Buys small software companies left and right. Maker of software for monitoring other business software bought nine companies since 2005.

"It's fun to go and spend $100 million a year" buying companies, he says.

Most recently bought remaining 25% Quest didn't already own of Vizioncore, Buffalo Grove, Ill.-based software maker.

Emerged this year from long-running options probe. Quest took charges to past earnings of about $137 million for grants from 1998 to 2005. Restatement bill second highest in OC, albeit distant second to Broadcom.

SEC could sue company, Smith, another employee, two former chief financial officers over options issue.

Quest's own options probe delayed quarterly results for better part of year, caused concern among investors. Reporting now back on track. Prospects look good as Quest pushes into growth markets, what's known as virtualization.

Started at Oracle after graduating from University of Delaware in 1986. Degree in computer science, minor in economics. Played rugby.

Landed Oracle job thanks to contact in economics department. Worked at Oracle from 1987 to 1992 in sales management positions. In 1992 started San Francisco-based Patrol Software with Oracle colleague.

Sold it to BMC Software in 1994. Served as BMC's director of open systems, managing sales operations.