Education: Yale University, BA and MA in economics, BS in computer science, all in 1983.
Career highlights: Joined Microsoft in 1983, rising to oversee Microsoft Word, a popular word processor. Also launched the company's multimedia business. Left Microsoft in 1993 and a year later launched Progressive Networks (renamed RealNetworks), the pioneer of audio and video over the Web.
His first streaming media on the Net: In 1995, RealNetworks broadcast the first live event over the Web--a baseball game between the Seattle Mariners and the New York Yankees.
Politics: A hard-core lefty. At Yale, Glaser penned a political column called "What's Left" for the college newspaper. When he set up RealNetworks, he decided that 5% of the company's profits would go to charity. He has since earmarked the money for social causes.
Musical tastes: Favors alternative rock bands, such as Foo Fighters and the Posies. The band that has touched him the most: Nirvana. "It has an undercurrent of raw emotion, wrapped with this cynical indifference," he says. His music collection fills about 10 gigabytes of computer storage.
Baseball: Got hooked on baseball in 1969 watching the Miracle Mets win the World Series. "Baseball is like any religion: It tugs at you through life," Glaser says. He's now part-owner of the Seattle Mariners.
Bowling: Glaser wasn't much of an athlete growing up. He did excel at bowling and as a teen once rolled a 231. Last year, he built a two-lane alley in Real's basement. He joined with former Microsoft colleagues to buy the Professional Bowlers Assn.
Family: Married his second wife, Sarah, last summer.
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