Jim Kimsey

James V. ("Jim") Kimsey was the co-founder, CEO, and first chairman of internet service provider America Online (AOL).

After being dismissed from Gonzaga College High School, he attended St. John's College High School, followed by Georgetown University for one term, and then the United States Military Academy, from which he graduated in 1962. He served in the US Army, becoming a lieutenant and seeing active service in the Dominican Republic and Vietnam. In Vietnam, he had the acquaintance of General Wayne Downing and General John Abizaid

Kimsey was CEO of AOL from 1985 (at that time known as Quantum Computer Services) until 1995, when Steve Case took the helm.

He is a key investor in, and a Director of private military contracting firm Triple Canopy, Inc.

In 2005, Kimsey met with Generals Abizaid and Downing regarding the Iraq war ([1]).

In 2000, Kimsey purchased Marden House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, for $2.5 million.

[edit] Quotes

"I went to Georgetown University for a year. It was on scholarship, and I had everything paid for, but I still couldn't afford to go there. I was by far the poorest kid at Georgetown."

"They would look at me and say, My God, how are you ever going to compete with IBM?"

"I told Wayne, 'I'm going to send all these guys [in charge] a copy of 'The Godfather.' . . . You've got to think like the Mafia thinks. No, it isn't going to be fair. You're going to whack 'em at home. You're going to do stuff to their families. You've got to play dirty. You've got to get in bed with dirty people. . . . Wayne knows how to think like that." - to General Downing, regarding stategies for dealing with al Qaeda