The CDC founder is rich thanks to big investors who can’t get enough of digital infrastructure. But the career of the man, who once dreamed of becoming a champion cyclist, could have been very different.
Greg Boorer at one of his company’s data centres in Canberra. Alex Ellinghausen
For most of his formative years, CDC Data Centres founder Greg Boorer was laser-focused on sport and had never so much as turned on a computer. Now, as chief executive of a technology company newly valued at $17 billion, he can reflect happily on the misfortune that changed his path.
On Monday night he signed off on a share sale to Australia’s sovereign wealth fund and ASX-listed investment firm Infratil that cemented his status, alongside AirTrunk’s Robin Khuda, as a local industry visionary. Both businessmen made their fortunes from housing the infrastructure that underpins the cloud computing and artificial intelligence booms.
Paul SmithTechnology editorPaul Smith edits the technology coverage and has been a leading writer on the sector for 20 years. He covers big tech, business use of tech, the fast-growing Australian tech industry and start-ups, telecommunications and national innovation policy. Connect with Paul on Twitter. Email Paul at psmith@afr.com
