Doug Burgum Biography, Age, Height, Weight, Family & Net Worth

Doug Burgum is an American businessman, philanthropist, and Republican politician currently serving as the 33rd Governor of North Dakota. Since 2016, he has held the position of Governor. He formerly worked for Microsoft as the chief of business solutions. Burgum is the co-founder of Arthur Ventures and the Kilbourne Group, a Fargo-based real estate development business.

Early Life of Doug Burgum

Doug Burgum was born on August 1, 1956. Katherine and Joseph Boyd Burgum are his parents. Karen Stoker, Burgum’s first wife, whom he married in 1991 and divorced in 2003, was his first wife. With Stoker, he has three children. Kathryn Helgaas is his current wife. In 2016, they tied the knot. Burgum and his family are presently residing at the new Governor’s residence in North Dakota, valued at $5 million.

Burgum grew up in Arthur, North Dakota, with his parents and grandparents, who had established a grain elevator in 1906. Dakota High School was his alma mater, and he graduated from North Dakota State University with a bachelor’s degree in 1978. Burgum studied business at Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he met Steve Ballmer, Microsoft’s future CEO.

Career of Doug Burgum

Received his degree from Stanford, Burgum began his work as a consultant for McKinsey & Co., a Chicago-based firm. He joined a software firm named Great Plains Software in 1983 after investing $250,000 in seed capital and became president in 1984 after buying the company’s balance with funds acquired by his family. In 2001, Burgum sold Great Plains Software for $1.1 billion to Microsoft.

After the sale, Burgum was named as Microsoft’s head of business solutions, which he held until 2007. Burgum is attributed by Microsoft’s current CEO, Satya Nadella, for “inspiring him to uncover the essence of Microsoft.” He has also served on the Stanford Graduate School of Business advisory board.

With no previous political experience, Burgum campaigned for Governor of North Dakota as a Republican in 2016. He beat Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem in the primary election and received 75% of the general election in November. Burgum was re-elected in 2020 and served as Governor of North Dakota.

Personal Life of Doug Burgum

Doug Burgum and Kathryn Helgaas have been married since 2016. Before Kathryn Helgaas, he was married to Karen Stoker in 199. After three children, they divorced in 2003. In 2016, Burgum married Kathryn Helgaas.

Net Worth of Doug Burgum

Doug Burgum’s net worth is estimated to be $1.5 billion. His stipend as Governor of North Dakota is $135,360 per year. Doug became a fortune through a technology company named Great Plains Software, which he joined in 1983 and progressed to the president before selling to Microsoft for $1.1 billion in 2001. Burgum is also the co-founder of Arthur Ventures and the Kilbourne Group, a real estate development company. Burgum has also made investments in several promising companies, notably SuccessFactors, acquired by SAP in 2012 for $3.4 billion.

Physical Appearance of Doug Burgum