Oracle co-CEO Mark Hurd is dead at 62

Oracle co-CEO Mark Hurd, who led two Silicon Valley giants, has died at 62. Oracle confirmed his death Friday, but gave no cause. Hurd was on medical leave, which Oracle announced in September .

During his career, Hurd ran chairman Larry Ellison came both Oracle and computer and to Hurd’s defense, railing printer maker HewlettPackard. against HP for disclosing the Hurd joined Oracle harassment claim, calling it as co-president in 2010 a “cowardly corporate political month after leaving HP. He correctness.” He said ousting resigned from HP following Hurd was the worst personnel accusations of sexual harassment decision since Apple forced by a female contract out Steve Jobs a quarter-century worker. earlier.

In that pre-#MeToo era, Hurd’s tenure at HP also Hurd’s departure from HP was coincided with an infamous a significant Silicon Valley spying scandal. HP hired detectives drama. An investigation found to spy on directors, while Hurd didn’t violate employees — including Hurd sexual harassment policies, — and journalists in an effort he submitted inaccurate expense to find the source of news reports connected to leaks. This led to the departure outings with his accuser. Hurd of its chairwoman and said he didn’t try to conceal settlements with the state of his dinners with the contractor California and journalists. after events she helped HP sued Oracle after Hurd or gan i ze. was hired, saying Hurd

Hurd settled with the contractor couldn’t do his job without in 2010. HP’s stock spilling HP’s trade secrets, but price more than doubled during the companies quickly settled. Hurd’s five-year stint as At Oracle, Hurd hired four CEO, adding about $50 billion thousand salespeople, according to the company’s market to a biography on his personal value. website, and pushed for

During the scandal, Oracle cloud-computing investments.

In a note to Oracle employees, Ellison said that he will miss “my close and irreplaceable friend.” In the official notice of Hurd’s medical leave a month earlier, Ellison said that Hurd had requested an absence “to address some health related issues and we all wish him a speedy recover y.”

Ellison said at the time that he and co-CEO Safra Catz would take over Hurd’s responsibilities.

Hurd described his decision to take medical leave this way: “Though we all worked hard together to close the first quarter, I’ve decided that I need to spend time focused on my health.”

Before joining HP in 2005, Hurd worked at business technology company NCR Corp. for a quarter-century.

He grew up in New York and moved to Miami for high school. He graduated from Baylor University, where he played tennis. He is survived by his wife Paula and two daughters. - AP