SAS Institute's 50-Year Success Story

0:00It's April 30th. Welcome in. This is Durham News Today, where local news meets AI. I'm Cory with the story. SAS Institute just hit its 50th birthday, and it's still one of the richest private software giants out there based in Kerry, North Carolina. Co-founder Jim Goodnight ranks as the 72nd wealthiest American with a net worth of $15.3 billion. It all kicked off as a university project at North Carolina State for crunching agricultural data back in the 70s. The crew turned it into a company in 1976, snagging a full license for the software and docs from the school without giving up any equity or royalties. They inherited a solid client list right away, including heavy hitters like Coca-Cola and Westinghouse, plus steady maintenance cash flow that made, then profitable from day one. Folks who were there call it the ultimate startup cheat code, no debt, no outside investors, pure momentum, early tensions led some founders to cash out, leaving Goodnight and John

1:02Saul as the sole owners, now North Carolina's richest duo. Revenue exploded from $10 million in 1980 to over $3 billion today, fueling perks like onsite childcare, chef-cooked meals, and 35-hour weeks that bill SAS's legendary WorkWife vibe. That's the ability reshaped Kerry from a sleepy town into what locals dubbed SASSland, with the company hiring mayors, building homes, and filling gaps in. Daycare and dining-proving steady routes can outpace the VC hustle every time.