David Sun $2.5 bil Computer memory. Orange County, Calif.58.

John Tu $2.5 bil Computer memory. Los Angeles. 67.

Partners founded memory-chip operation Camintonn 1982, sold 4 years later for $6 million. Formed Kingston Technology; sold 80% to Softbank for $1.5 billion in 1996, immediately distributed $100 million in employee bonuses. Bought back 3 years later for $450 million. Today Kingston is nation's largest privately held computer memory outfit; products grace cell phones, digital cameras, MP3 players. Beating competitors on price by closely monitoring chip supply to avoid having excess inventory if chip prices fall. Another tactic: using less packaging. Both billionaires continue to work in cubicles at center of sales floor.

Source:

The Forbes 400

Technology: Gadget Gurus

10.01.09, 04:20 PM EDT 
Forbes Magazine dated October 19, 2009

These tech tycoons engineered the chips, bytes and apps that keep our lives fast and easy.