Ross Perot | Biography, 1992 Presidential Election, & Facts | Britannica MoneyHousehold FinanceInvestingTradingRetirementCompaniesBiographiesFinance & the EconomyRead MoreTable Of ContentsRoss PerotAmerican businessmanPrintCiteShareLinksAlso known as: Henry Ross PerotWritten and fact-checked byThe Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThe Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaEncyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.Updated: July 08, 2025Read MoreTable Of ContentsOpen full sized imageRoss Perot, 1992.© Joe Sohm/Dreamstime.com in full: Henry Ross Perot born:June 27, 1930, , , died:July 9, 2019, , (aged 89) Founder:News • • July 9, 2025, 12:06 AM ET(AP)Ross Perot (born June 27, 1930, , , U.S.—died July 9, 2019, , Texas) was an American businessman and philanthropist who ran as an independent candidate for U.S. president in 1992 and 1996.He was the son of a broker. Perot attended Texarkana Junior College for two years before entering the at , Maryland, in 1949. He was commissioned in the in 1953 and served until 1957, after which he worked as a salesman for (IBM).In 1962 Perot quit IBM and formed his own company, (EDS), to design, install, and operate computer data-processing systems for clients on a contractual basis. EDS grew by processing medical claims for Blue Cross and other large insurance companies, and in 1968 Perot took the firm public in a shrewdly managed share offering whose skyrocketing prices yielded Perot, the majority shareholder, several hundred million dollars. EDS continued to prosper under his leadership, and in 1984 Perot sold the company to for $2.5 billion worth of special-issue stock and a seat on GM’s board of directors. Perot’s criticism of GM’s management prompted them to buy back his seat for $700 million in 1986.Britannica QuizU.S. Presidential Elections QuizIn 1969 Perot mounted an unsuccessful campaign to free American prisoners of being held in North Vietnam. In 1979 he sponsored efforts to rescue two EDS employees who were being held in prison in .In 1992, while a guest on ’s Larry King Live, Perot announced that he would enter the as a candidate if supporters would file petitions enabling him to be on the ballot in all 50 states. With Democratic front-runner suffering from personal scandals and facing a tough primary race from and with the incumbent Republican president weakened by a faltering economy, support for Perot initially earned widespread popularity, particularly among voters dissatisfied with traditional party politics. Perot reached out to both and , hiring former operatives from each party to advise his campaign. Polls in May and June showed Perot leading both Clinton and Bush, but in July he unexpectedly dropped from the race. He later returned to the campaign trail, however, and selected James Stockdale as his vice presidential running mate. Perot ran a nontraditional campaign, focusing on 30-minute infomercial-style advertisements and appearing on the stump to deliver speeches only rarely. His policies focused on opposition to the (NAFTA; supported by both Bush and Clinton) and on elimination of the budget deficit and national debt. Spending some $65 million of his personal fortune, Perot won 19 percent of the popular vote in the November election. After the election he organized the nonpartisan political United We Stand America.Open full sized imageRoss Perot at the second U.S. presidential debate of 1992.© Archive Photos/Consolidated NewsOpen full sized imageEncyclopædia Britannica, Inc.In September 1995 Perot established the , which he hoped to build into a major . The party’s broadly defined platform called for campaign reform, congressional , balancing the federal budget, overhauling the health care and systems, and placing restrictions on lobbying. Running as the Reform Party nominee in the with Pat Choate as his vice presidential nominee, Perot received 8 percent of the popular vote, while the Republican candidate, , took 41 percent, and Clinton was reelected with 49 percent of the vote and 379 delegates. Following the election, Perot distanced himself from the Reform Party, and, on the eve of the 2000 presidential election, he endorsed Republican over the Reform Party nominee, . In 2008 Perot launched a blog, Perot Charts, that focused on fiscal policy.Open full sized imageButton from Ross Perot's 1996 presidential campaign.Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Open full sized imageEncyclopædia Britannica, Inc.This article was most recently revised and updated by .About Us© 2025 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., Henry Ross Perot (/ pəˈroʊ / ⓘ pə-ROH; June 27, 1930 – July 9, 2019), better known as Ross Perot, was an American businessman, politician, and philanthropist. He was the founder and chief executive officer of Electronic Data Systems and Perot Systems., Ross Perot, American businessman and philanthropist who ran as an independent candidate for U.S. president in 1992 and 1996. He was the founder (1962) of Electronic Data Systems, and the company’s success made him extremely wealthy..