{"id":"940aa56c-f853-424d-8816-820a1661c873","slug":"j-robert-beyster","name":"J. Robert Beyster","bioBrief":"American nuclear physicist and entrepreneur who founded Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) in 1969, building it into an $8 billion employee-owned technology company with 43,000 employees by his 2004 retirement. SAIC split in 2012, with one half becoming [Leidos](/companies/leidos). Educated at the University of Michigan (BSE, MS, PhD), he worked at Westinghouse's nuclear submarine program, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and General Atomics before founding SAIC. Pioneered employee stock ownership as a business model. Founded the Beyster Institute and Foundation for Enterprise Development to promote employee ownership. Fellow of the American Nuclear Society and American Physical Society, member of the National Academy of Engineering. Died December 22, 2014, at age 90.","priorExits":null,"nationality":"American","verificationPosture":null,"aliases":[],"sources":[{"url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Robert_Beyster","title":"John Robert Beyster — Wikipedia","sourceName":"Wikipedia"},{"url":"https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/24/business/j-robert-beyster-scientist-and-entrepreneur-is-dead-at-90.html","title":"J. Robert Beyster, Scientist and Entrepreneur, Is Dead at 90","sourceName":"The New York Times"}],"reviewStatus":"reviewed","createdAt":"2026-08-18T04:02:48.896Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-20T12:47:58.793Z","educations":[],"companyRoles":[{"id":"5ab588a9-c005-422d-aae7-5ee113e095d4","personId":"940aa56c-f853-424d-8816-820a1661c873","companyId":"f03a32cf-9793-4def-9ce9-2b4046403ed0","role":"other","roleTitle":"Founder of SAIC (predecessor, 1969)","startDate":null,"endDate":null,"currentRole":false,"roleBasis":"verified_secondary","displayOrder":null,"createdAt":"2026-08-18T04:05:35.418Z","company":{"slug":"leidos","name":"Leidos"}}],"boardRoles":[],"investorRoles":[],"foundings":[{"id":"2ee1ec0d-17b7-4106-a27c-5e9346d7e6d0","personId":"940aa56c-f853-424d-8816-820a1661c873","companyId":"f03a32cf-9793-4def-9ce9-2b4046403ed0","foundingDate":null,"cofounderStatus":"sole","stillAtCompany":false,"createdAt":"2026-08-23T14:33:49.273Z","company":{"slug":"leidos","name":"Leidos"}}]}