Photo: NightGaunt at Italian Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Ron Rivest is, to me, one of those quiet architects of modern life that far too few people can name. Every time we shop or bank online safely, we lean on the RSA cryptosystem he helped create. The 2002 Turing Award, computing's highest honor, plus induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame, confirm a legacy that runs beneath the surface of the digital world. I have a deep respect for thinkers who build invisible foundations rather than chase attention. Rivest is exactly that: understated, indispensable, and genuinely heroic in a way the public rarely sees.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Ron Rivest
- Name (Japanese)
- ロナルド・リベスト
- Reading
- ろなるど・りべすと
- Born
- May 6, 1947 (age 79)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Taurus / Boar
- Origin
- Schenectady, New York, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- mathematician / cryptologist / computer scientist / university teacher / information professional
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Niskayuna High School
- University
- Stanford University
Awards & achievements
- 2002 Turing Award
- 1996 Paris Kanellakis Award
- 2007 Marconi Prize
- 2017 BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award
- 2004 IACR Fellow
- 1994 ACM Fellow
- 2000 IEEE Koji Kobayashi Computers and Communications Award
- 2018 National Inventors Hall of Fame
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | RSA cryptosystem | — | |
| Notable work | MD5 | — |
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Ron Rivest born?
Born May 6, 1947 (age 79).
Where is Ron Rivest from?
Ron Rivest is from Schenectady, New York, United States.
What does Ron Rivest do?
Ron Rivest works as mathematician, cryptologist, computer scientist, university teacher, information professional.
What is Ron Rivest known for?
Notable works include RSA cryptosystem, MD5.
Mathematician — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-24
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.