Andy Grove, the legendary ex-CEO of Intel, has died

Andy Grove, Intel's former CEO, died Monday at the age of 79, after years of battling the Parkinson's disease.

Intel announced his death in a statement.

"We are deeply saddened by the passing of former Intel Chairman and CEO Andy Grove. Andy made the impossible happen, time and again, and inspired generations of technologists, entrepreneurs, and business leaders," Intel CEO Brian Krzanich said in a statement.Grove was Intel's very first hire and played an instrumental role in taking the company from a scrappy startup to the most powerful chipmaker in the world. His leadership at Intel spans over 30 years, being named the company's President in 1979 and CEO in 1987. 

It was under Grove's watch that Intel formed the famous "Wintel" duopoloy with Microsoft that dominated the PC market. Intel increased annual revenues from $1.9 billion to more than $26 billion under Grove's management.

But it's Grove's relentless work ethic and bruising management style that have earned the respect of many followers. Steve Jobs used to call Grove his mentor, while Marc Andreessen often says Grove's the man who built Silicon Valley. His book, "Only the Paranoid Survive," is still considered a must-read management book by many business leaders.

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Here's what people had this to say about Grove's passing:

Andy Grove was one of the giants of the technology world. He loved our country and epitomized America at its best. Rest in peace.

- Tim Cook (@tim_cook) March 22, 2016