Former Intel CEO and chairman Andy Grove dies at age 79

Andrew Grove, former CEO and chairman of Intel, passed away on Monday at his home in Los Altos, California at the age of 79.

Grove was born in Hungary as András István Gróf and was a key figure in the early days of Silicon Valley.

"RIP Andy Grove. The best company builder Silicon Valley has ever seen, and likely will ever see," Netscape co-founder Marc Andreessen tweeted out.

Grove became Intel's president in 1979 during the company's founding and CEO in 1987. He served as chairman of Intel's board from 1997 to 2005.

"Grove played a critical role in the decision to move Intel's focus from memory chips to microprocessors and led the firm's transformation into a widely recognized consumer brand," Grove's obituary read. "Under his leadership, Intel produced the chips, including the 386 and Pentium, that helped usher in the PC era. The company also increased annual revenues from $1.9 billion to more than $26 billion."

Grove and his wife, Eva, were married for 58 years and had two daughters and eight grandchildren.

"We are deeply saddened by the passing of former Intel Chairman and CEO Andy Grove," Brian Krzanich, CEO of Intel, said in a statement. "Andy made the impossible happen, time and again, and inspired generations of technologists, entrepreneurs, and business leaders."