Born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1950, Bob Parsons is an American entrepreneur, philanthropist, and founder of GoDaddy and PXG (Parsons Xtreme Golf). His early life was challenging: he grew up in a blue-collar environment and nearly failed out of high school. His trajectory changed in 1968 when he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps.

Parsons served during the Vietnam War, where he was wounded in action and earned the Purple Heart Medal and the Combat Action Ribbon. This military experience instilled in him the extreme mental toughness, discipline, and 'courage' that he credits for his later business success. Using the G.I. Bill, he attended the University of Baltimore, randomly choosing accounting as his major, and graduated magna cum laude in 1975. During college, he taught himself computer programming, a hobby that led to his first software company.

Bob Parsons' career is defined by three major, successful ventures. 1984: Parsons Technology. He founded his first business in his basement, writing accounting software. He grew it to nearly $100 million in annual revenue before selling it to Intuit in 1994 for $64 million. This exit provided the capital for his next audacious move. 1997: GoDaddy. Parsons launched GoDaddy (originally Jomax Technologies), recognizing the massive untapped potential of website registration. GoDaddy revolutionized the industry with aggressive, often controversial, and sexually charged advertising (including famous Super Bowl ads) and cheap pricing, quickly becoming the world's largest domain name registrar.

Parsons sold a majority stake in GoDaddy in 2011 in a deal valuing the company at $2.3 billion, and fully stepped down in 2018. 2013: PXG. In retirement, driven by his passion for golf, he founded Parsons Xtreme Golf (PXG), a luxury, high-end golf equipment brand. PXG quickly became a multi-million dollar venture, marking his third company to be recognized as one of America's fastest-growing private companies.

Bob Parsons is a dedicated philanthropist, channeling his significant fortune through The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation (founded 2012). His giving is highly focused on supporting marginalized populations, veterans, and military families, reflecting his personal background as a wounded veteran.

• Key Causes: Provides transformational grants in areas of homelessness, medical care, LGBTQ youth, and the needs of wounded veterans.
• Veteran Support: His service in the Vietnam War and subsequent Purple Heart drive his commitment to veteran causes.
• Animal Welfare: The foundation is a major supporter of animal welfare and pet rescues.

Bob Parsons maintains the bold, unapologetic, and rugged style of a self-made Texas/Arizona entrepreneur and Marine veteran. His attire is often casual, favoring high-end leather, customized apparel from his PXG line, and a general aesthetic that is highly visible and confident. He often embraces the 'edgy' reputation cultivated by GoDaddy's early advertising.

Residing in Scottsdale, Arizona, his luxury is the highly customized nature of his ventures: he owns the Scottsdale National Golf Club, a vast motorcycle dealership (Harley-Davidson of Scottsdale), and his personal manufacturing business, The YAMWOOD Foundry, which creates custom furniture and designs. His life is an expression of high-octane leisure, combining his passions for golf and motorcycles with his immense financial power.