Bill Stealey

John Wilburn "Wild Bill" Stealey (* 1947) is an American entrepreneur. The former fighter pilot of the United States Air Force is currently CEO of iEntertainment Network. He is best known as co-founder of the legendary game software manufacturer MicroProse.

Life

Stealey founded in 1982 together with the programmer Sid Meier MicroProse. While Sid Meier for the development of a range of innovative and genre causative games software (eg: F- 15 Strike Eagle, Pirates, Railroad Tycoon, Civilization, Silent Service, Gunship ) was responsible to Stealey took care of the marketing and production. His service in the Air Force he resigned at the rank of lieutenant colonel, as he assessed the probability of promotion to General in peacetime as too low. In the sale was " Wild Bill " on by eccentric and extroverted appearance. So he invited, for example, journalists breakneck erichen sightseeing flights in his private jet fighter and brought to the fair presentation of his tanks Software " M1 Abrams " is equal to the original vehicle with. After numerous successful mobile games MicroProse in 1993 at the Spectrum Holobyte competitors (eg: F- 16 Fighting Falcon, Tetris ) sold.

In 1995 he founded the software company Interactive Magic, which is known under the name iEntertainment Network today. In 1999 he left the company, as the Israeli Jacob Agam as CEO of Vertical Financial Holdings, the majority stakeholder in IEN was at the time, the company management took over. But in 2002 at the request of the company, he returned as CEO.