David Duffield Net Worth, Relationships, Age/Birthdate & Birthday

David Duffield is a pioneering software entrepreneur recognized for co-founding industry-transforming firms and building a multibillion-dollar philanthropic legacy.

Introduction

David Arthur Duffield (birthdate September 21, 1940) has carved a remarkable path in enterprise-software innovation, co-founding both PeopleSoft and Workday, Inc., and amassing an estimated net worth of around $14 billion. 
He is married to Cheryl Duffield and together they have built a blended family while channeling much of their wealth into charitable causes.

Quick Facts

From Local Ambition to Global Success

David Duffield's story begins in Cleveland, Ohio, but his family relocated to New Jersey when he was an infant. Raised in Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey, he absorbed early influences from his engineer father and teacher mother. 
He attended Cornell University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree and an MBA, which paved the way for his first job at IBM in the 1960s. 
Over the next two decades, Duffield founded several software-companies — starting with Information Associates, then Integral Systems, followed by Business Software Corporation. These early ventures honed his product and technology leadership before culminating in PeopleSoft in 1987. 

Defining moments in David Duffield’s journey include:

• Founding PeopleSoft and driving it to become one of the largest enterprise application providers. 

• Steering the sale of PeopleSoft to Oracle Corporation for approximately $10 billion in 2005. 

• Immediately co-founding Workday the same year, pivoting to cloud-based enterprise software. 

• Launching a third major venture, Ridgeline, Inc. in 2017, focused on software for investment-management firms. 

Main Sources of Wealth

The core pillars of David Duffield’s wealth include:

• Enterprise software stakes: His founding roles in PeopleSoft and Workday established the foundation of his fortune. Bloomberg notes he owns around 17% of Workday stock in filings, contributing significantly to his net worth. 

• Emerging venture investments: His investment of nearly half-a-billion dollars into Ridgeline demonstrates his belief in continued software-led growth in finance. 

• Philanthropic tax-efficient structuring: While less conventional, his giving (e.g., to Cornell, animal-welfare) offers both mission-driven outcomes and smart wealth-management implications. 

Relationships & Family Life

David Duffield’s personal life reflects a blend of legacy, family building, and shared values. He is married to Cheryl Duffield. Together they adopted multiple children and maintain a large blended family: according to public records, three children from David’s previous marriage and seven jointly adopted. 

Key insights into David Duffield’s relationships and personal life:

• Married to Cheryl Duffield, with whom he shares deep philanthropic commitments.

• The couple’s home base has included Alamo, California, and later Lake Tahoe, reflecting a blend of business and lifestyle. 

• Their family’s shared interest in animal-welfare, education, and community service became a keystone of their public identity.

Lifestyle, Assets & Interests

Beyond career success, David Duffield leads a lifestyle that reflects both passion and purpose, including:

• A prominent philanthropic footprint: through his foundations he supports animal welfare (notably via Maddie’s Fund), veteran services, and education. 

• Real-estate holdings in affluent locales (e.g., Bay Area estate, Lake Tahoe region) aligning with his entrepreneurial status. 

• Personal interests such as canine companions and shelter-medicine advocacy — his dog “Maddie” inspired Maddie’s Fund. 

• Philanthropic projects with tangible assets: for instance, the upcoming “Liberty Dogs” service-dog campus in Reno, Nevada, dedicated to disabled veterans. 

Net Worth Breakdown & Analysis

The figure often cited in media is approximately $14 billion for David Duffield’s net worth.  Here is a thematic breakdown:

Analysis: His wealth is deeply tied to ownership in publicly held Workday, which means his net worth fluctuates with market performance. Philanthropic giving, such as a reported $100 million pledge to Cornell, also intersects with wealth management and tax strategies. 

Public Image, Legacy & Influence

In the world of enterprise software and philanthropy, David Duffield is widely regarded as a pioneer. His leadership at PeopleSoft helped shape how companies manage HR and finance data. With Workday, he turned to cloud-based solutions before it was mainstream.

His philanthropic profile deepens his public image: he is seen not just as a technologist, but as a lifetime advocate for animal welfare, educational access, and community service. These dual identities — business innovator and philanthropy driver — amplify his legacy.

Among peers and in the press, he is portrayed as persistent (“played FreeCell to win” per Bloomberg) and restless for new challenges even after major exit success. 

Conclusion

David Arthur Duffield, born September 21 1940, stands as a figure whose entrepreneurial ambition transformed enterprise software and whose wealth has funded lasting philanthropic work. His marriage to Cheryl Duffield and their shared vision for giving back reinforce the personal side of his journey. With an estimated net worth in the multibillion-dollar realm, David Duffield net worth, relationships, age/birthdate, and birthday together paint the portrait of an individual who leveraged innovation to build not just companies, but legacies. His story reminds us that business success can and often does go hand in hand with meaningful impact.