Andrew Grove, longtime chief executive and chairman of Intel Corporation, died on Monday at his Los Altos home in California, reported CNBC. He was 79 years old. A spokesperson for the family said the cause of death has not been determined yet.

Grove, one of the most influential figures of his time in technology and business, was associated with Intel since the company started in 1968. He became the president of the company in 1979 and CEO in 1987. He served as Chairman of the Board from 1997 to 2005. He has also written many best-selling books and widely cited articles.

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of former Intel Chairman and CEO Andy Grove,” Intel CEO Brian Krzanich said in a statement. “Andy made the impossible happen, time and again, and inspired generations of technologists, entrepreneurs, and business leaders.”

Grove, who was born András Gróf in Budapest, survived Nazi occupation and escaped Soviet repression before he emigrated to the United States in 1956-57. He studied chemical engineering at the City College of New York, completing his PhD at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1963. After graduating, he was hired by Gordon Moore at Fairchild Semiconductor as a researcher and rose to assistant head of R&D under Moore. When Robert Noyce and Moore started Intel, Grove was their first hire.

“Andy approached corporate strategy and leadership in ways that continue to influence prominent thinkers and companies around the world,” said Intel Chairman Andy Bryant. “He combined the analytic approach of a scientist with an ability to engage others in honest and deep conversation, which sustained Intel’s success over a period that saw the rise of the personal computer, the Internet and Silicon Valley.”

Grove is survived by wife, Eva, two daughters and eight grandchildren.