Doug Burgum | |
---|---|
33rd Governor of North Dakota | |
Assumed office December 15, 2016 | |
Lieutenant | Brent Sanford Tammy Miller |
Preceded by | Jack Dalrymple |
Personal details | |
Born | Douglas James Burgum August 1, 1956 Arthur, North Dakota, U.S. |
Political party | Republican |
Spouses | Karen Stoker
(m. 1991; div. 2003)Kathryn Helgaas (m. 2016) |
Children | 3 |
Residence | Governor's Residence |
Education | North Dakota State University (BA) Stanford University (MBA) |
Occupation |
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Signature | |
Website | Government website |
Douglas James Burgum (/ˈbɜːrɡəm/ BUR-gəm;[1] born August 1, 1956) is an American businessman and politician serving since 2016 as the 33rd governor of North Dakota.[2][3] He is among the wealthiest politicians in the United States and has an estimated net worth of at least $1.1 billion. He is a member of the Republican Party.[4]
Burgum was born and raised in Arthur, North Dakota. After graduating from North Dakota State University in 1978 and earning an MBA from Stanford University two years later, he mortgaged inherited farmland in 1983 to invest in Great Plains Software in Fargo. Becoming its president in 1984, he took the company public in 1997. Burgum sold the company to Microsoft for $1.1 billion in 2001. While working at Microsoft, he managed Microsoft Business Solutions. He has served as board chairman for Australian software company Atlassian and SuccessFactors. Burgum is the founder of Kilbourne Group, a Fargo-based real-estate development firm, and also is the co-founder of Arthur Ventures, a software venture capital group.
Burgum won the 2016 North Dakota gubernatorial election in a landslide. He was reelected by a wide margin in 2020.[5] In June 2023, Burgum launched a campaign for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. He ended his candidacy in early December 2023,[6] and became an advisor on the Trump campaign's energy policy.[7]