From Blinders to Billions: Unveiling Mike May’s Net Worth
Do you believe that a person could be so talented to make billions despite a life-defining obstacle? That’s the story of Mike May, an American inventor and entrepreneur who became blind in infancy. Despite the blindness, May found his way to the top and may be one of the most successful blind people. In this blog post, we will delve into his life, work, and net worth, uncovering how much he is worth today.
Introduction
Mike May is an inventor and entrepreneur who has made significant contributions to the assistive technology industry, among other fields. His story is one that inspires many, illustrating that obstacles in life can indeed be an opportunity to succeed. Despite being blind since early childhood, May has achieved remarkable success in his life, and his net worth attests to this fact.
Early Life
May’s blindness resulted from an incident when he was just three years old. While playing with knives at his preschool, a sharpened pencil fell and pierced his right eye, eventually leading to a complete loss of sight in that eye. Sadly, doctors made the situation worse during an intensive operation, causing May to lose his vision entirely. Despite this life-altering affliction, May refused to be deterred. He adjusted to being blind and continuously tried to find viable solutions to overcome this limitation.
Education and Career
May is an alumnus of St. Mary’s College of California, where he majored in Business Administration. Following college, he joined Hewlett Packard (HP), a tech company, working as a marketing manager for three years. At HP, he was promoted to the product development team, where he would later create an electronic travel aid that uses sonar to detect obstacles in the way and give spoken warnings to the user. May later left HP to pursue his dream of starting his own business.
Inventions
May’s most prominent invention is the Prodigy Pocket, a pocket-sized personal digital assistant that could be used to organize daily schedules and tasks. Many people in the blind community eagerly awaited this product’s launch, which gave May national recognition.
Furthermore, May also developed the OrCam, an artificial vision device that assists people with low vision or blindness to recognize objects, read texts, and perform other tasks. The device connects to a wearable camera with a small computer, analyzing and relaying the images and text to the users in real-time. This invention provided a breakthrough in the accessibility industry.
Recognition and Awards
May’s achievements have helped him gain national recognition for his work. Prodigy Pocket earned him the National Medal of Technology and Innovation in 2013 from President Barack Obama. He has also won other notable awards such as the Outstanding Scientist Award from the American Foundation for the Blind, amongst many others.
Net Worth
May has become not only a household name within the assistive technology industry for his groundbreaking inventions but also a multimillionaire. Currently, Mike May’s net worth is about $75 million. His wealth emanates from his consulting businesses related to assistive technology and stocks from other companies such as Amazon.
FAQs
Q: What was Mike May’s most popular invention?
A: Mike May’s most notable invention is the Prodigy Pocket, a personal digital assistant that was pocket-sized.
Q: What did Mike May do at Hewlett Packard?
A: May worked as a marketing manager at Hewlett Packard for three years. Later, he was promoted to the product development team, where he would invent an electronic travel aid that uses sonar to detect obstacles in the way and give spoken warnings to the user.
Q: What is Mike May’s net worth?
A: Mike May’s current net worth is estimated at $75 million.
Q: What is OrCam, and how does it work?
A: The OrCam is an artificial vision device that helps the visually impaired to recognize objects, read texts, and perform many other tasks. The device connects to a wearable camera and small computers, analyzes and relays images and texts to users in real-time.
Q: What other awards has Mike May won?
A: May has won a range of awards, including the Outstanding Scientist Award from the American Foundation for the Blind and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation (awarded by President Barack Obama).
Conclusion
Mike May’s life story highlights the resilience of the human spirit, that no obstacle should stop anyone from achieving their dreams. May’s blindness did not hinder his ambition to succeed but rather motivated him to invent the most innovative products in the assistive technology industry. Mike May’s net worth is a testament to his success and unwavering hard work. May serves as a great inspiration to all, challenging us to accomplish more, regardless of the challenges and obstacles life may present.