Tom Perkins, outspoken and sometimes controversial valley icon

Tom Perkins, Silicon Valley icon and co-founder of storied venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, died June 7. He was 84.

The outspoken investor was heralded as one of the early backers of the Silicon Valley tech boom. Perkins partnered with Eugene Kleiner in 1972 to form what would eventually become one of Silicon Valley's most prestigious venture capital firms. The firm has become known for funding tech industry giants such as Google, Amazon and Airbnb. Some in the industry credit Perkins' early investment in Genentech with starting the biotech industry. Venky Ganesan, managing director of Menlo Ventures and chair of the National Venture Capital Association board of directors, said Perkins was one of the top three or four people who defined the VC industry.