Marc Benioff

Early Life and Education

Marc Russell Benioff was born on September 25, 1964, in San Francisco, California. He was raised in a Jewish family with deep roots in the San Francisco Bay Area. Benioff graduated from Burlingame High School in 1982 and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern California in 1986. During his time at USC, he was a member of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity.

Salesforce and the 1-1-1 Model

In 1999, Marc Benioff founded Salesforce, which has since become one of the world’s most influential cloud computing companies. In 2000, he introduced the pioneering “1-1-1 model,” a corporate philanthropy approach in which a company donates 1% of its equity, 1% of its product, and 1% of employee time to charitable causes. This model has been adopted by hundreds of companies and is considered transformative in the field of corporate social responsibility.

Philanthropy and Social Impact

Marc and his wife, Lynne Benioff, are committed philanthropists focused on education and healthcare access. Together, they have been major supporters of the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals in San Francisco and Oakland, providing significant funding to improve pediatric care. Their charitable efforts also extend to public education initiatives and combating homelessness in the San Francisco area.

Personal Life

Marc Benioff is married to Lynne Benioff, and the couple has two children. They reside in San Francisco, California, and remain active in both business and philanthropic communities.