Ross Perot, pioneer of computer services and former US presidential candidate, dies at 89

In April 2019, Perot's fortune was estimated at $4.1 billion by Forbes magazine

IT services billionaire Ross Perot has died after a five-month battle with leukaemia.

Perot was aged 89, and had pioneed the computer services industry with Electronic Data Systems (EDS) and, later, Perot Systems.

"Ross Perot, the ground-breaking businessman and loving husband, brother, father and grandfather, passed away early Tuesday at his home in Dallas, surrounded by his devoted family," the Perot family said in a statement.

In April 2019, Forbes magazine estimated Perot's fortune at $4.1 billion.

Ross Perot twice ran for US president - in 1992 and 1996 - as an independent against candidates from the two main political parties, picking up a sizeable chunk of the vote.

In 1992 election, he got almost one-fifth of the popular vote, making him one of the most successful independent candidates in US history.

Perot was a self-made billionaire, who built his reputation as a business-savvy tech entrepreneur and the pioneer of the computer service industry. He was born on 27 June 1930 in Texarkana, Texas. His father, Gabriel Ross Perot, was a cotton broker and part-time horse trader.

Perot joined the US Naval Academy in 1949 and graduated in 1953. He got his first lessons in computing at the Academy.

Perot served the US military for four years, from 1953 to 1957. Later, he joined IBM as a computer salesman. He was a natural salesman and quickly made a name for himself in the company.

In 1962, he founded EDS in Dallas, Texas and his company quickly acquired contracts with NASA, the US Medicare system, and many other government agencies for data processing. The fast growth of EDS made Perot a billionaire, at least on paper, by the age of 38.

In 1984, General Motors acquired EDS for nearly $2.6 billion. In 1986, GM paid him another $900 million to quit the GM board and relinquish control of EDS.

Two years later, he founded another company, Perot Systems, which was later acquired by Dell in 2009 for $3.9 billion.

Perot was committed to supporting US veterans, especially during the Vietnam War. In 2009, he was honoured by James Peake, Veterans Affairs Secretary, for his advocacy efforts.

Ross Perot is survived by Margot (his wife), a sister, five children, and 16 grandchildren.