Kamil Khan
Billionaire technologist Kamil Khan has his hands in many organizations. As founder and president of Promethea Software, a non-profit dedicated to spreading democracy through technology, Khan often travels to industry trade shows and other events. His lecture, "Hacking Democracy," is very popular, and Khan is often invited to deliver it at a variety of venues.
Khan famously founded his company, K2 Technology, in 1980 while still in high school. His parents were co-founders and officers in the corporation, and still occupy important positions within his companies. K2 pursued advanced research in microprocessor development and software engineering but did not release a product for nearly twenty years. Khan maintained the company finances through brilliant investments in the companies of his former college classmates and friends he had met at computer and science fiction conventions. Among his early investments are Microsoft (Bill Gates taught Khan to play poker), Apple (Steve Jobs and Khan hiked together in India), and other software and later Internet companies.
Khan later founded a global holding company K2 Enterprises for his many other corporate properties and technological ventures. Research and develop makes up more than 80% of the operation under the purview of K2 Enterprises. K2 oversees the breadth of these operations through Worlds, Inc., a Seattle-based virtual reality development company. Industry analysts seem convinced Khan is developing some breakthrough VR technology. His yearly game of “corporate shuffleboard” keeps ‘em guessing.
K2 also oversees the non-profit arm (which includes Promethea Software, CyTech PAC and the Chaos Institute) as well as the investment division, K2 Investment Partners (an umbrella corporation for a handful of banks, brokers and financial firms).
On June 2011 K2 Technology announce it had developed the K2 supercomputer,
Unknown to all but his closest friends and confidantes, Khan has long harbored an interest in the "many worlds" conjectures of quantum physics. He has been secretly experimenting with parachronics at his private Santa Fe facility, making him one of the early theorists and experimenters in the field. The majority of his estimated $300 million personal wealth is sunk into this project. The development and funds are spread out over several companies, making it unlikely anyone would discern Khan’s true focus. Research is restricted to Khan and a few close allies, while development of components occurs in broad daylight, with projects disguised as or riding along with other projects. Components are shipped to Santa Fe, where Khan himself (along with his able assistants) assembles them to construct his prototypes.
Khan is an avid reader of science fiction, and takes pride in his friendship with many noted authors. Through the Chaos Institute, he often awards “research” fellowships and grants to imaginative authors whose work impresses him. Khan also insures
Brief Description of a Few of Khan’s Holdings
K2 Technology. Virtual-reality programming and development company. Produces a highly-advanced VR application platform, which can be licensed by other companies for their own products.
Promethea Software. Non-profit organization (founded solely by Khan) dedicated to spreading democracy and liberty through the application of digital computer technologies and education.
CyTech PAC. Political action and lobbying group. Adjunct to Promethea Software. Offices located in Washington DC.
The Chaos Institute. Founded in cooperation with Emily Brandeis and Nikos Poluketes, The Chaos Institute is a private research and education center that is highly interdisciplinary, providing an environment in which scientists from diverse backgrounds can learn from each other.
Avatar. Lifestyle and fashion company. Company motto: "Be Your Dream. Be Who You Wanna Be." Avatar’s fashion line features ultra-modern designs and products crafted from advanced textiles. Best known item: Avatar Visors, sunglasses designed to your specification, with lens technology that reduces incoming light 300% more efficiently than classical polarization technology.
Bardo Software. Acquired in 2005, Khan bought this company and placed his friend “Fast Eddie” Fells in charge. The company is rumored to be developing a heuristic interactive “real life” simulation game. No schedules, beta test date or other information have been released.