Valve was founded 30 years ago — changed PC gaming forever with Half-Life, then Steam | Microsoft veterans Gabe Newell and Mike Harrington founded the company on August 24, 1996.

Why do we never hear about Mike Harrington? It’s always Gabe Newell.
Anyways I guess congratulations to them is in order, they’ve done a fantastic job. I only wish they would move the company to Canada or EU. I don’t buy American products or services, the only exception is Steam.

Maybe Harrington isn’t rich?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Harrington

On January 15, 2000, Harrington sold his stake in Valve to Newell

According to Newell, Harrington did not want to risk another project after the success of Half-Life.

So apparently Gabe Newell has absolute power.

So apparently Gabe Newell has absolute power.

And he runs Valve with an iron fist barely caring what the employees do.

Yes they seem to have a very large degree of freedom, which allegedly was also how the Steam for Linux client got started.
But I think he cares, AFAIK that green-light was granted by Gabe Newell personally.
He is just not breathing down their neck constantly. Which is the best kind of manager there is.

yep. I just wanted to do a contrast based joke, since even though he has “absolute power” the allure of the story of valve is that he behaves in the opposite way.