Palmer Luckey

Founder of Oculus VR and designer of the Oculus Rift Palmer Freeman Luckey (born September 19, 1992)[1] is an American entrepreneur and co-founder of defense technology company Anduril Industries. He was the founder of Oculus VR and designer of the Oculus Rift, a virtual reality headset that is widely credited with reviving the virtual reality industry. In 2017, Luckey co-founded Anduril Industries, a military technology company focused on autonomous drones and sensors for military applications. Luckey ranked number 22 on Forbes' 2016 List of America's Richest Entrepreneurs Under 40.[2] As of September 2026, Forbes values his net worth at $6 billion.[3][4] Luckey was born and raised in Long Beach, California, with three younger sisters.[5][6][7] His father worked at a car dealership.[8][9] As a child he was homeschooled by his mother,[9] took sailing lessons,[10] and developed an intense interest in electronics and engineering.[11] He took courses at Golden West College and Long Beach City College[6] beginning at the age of 14 or 15, and then at California State University, Long Beach[5] in 2010.[8] He later majored in journalism[12] at CSU Long Beach, where he also wrote and was Online Editor for the university's student-run newspaper, then the Daily Forty-Niner, now known as the Long Beach Current as of 2024.[13]