Business & Tech
Passaic Co. Man Makes Forbes' Annual Top Billionaires List
Melih Abdulhayoglu made his first money in 1989 by winning a patent prize offered by the British government. Now he is worth $1.8 billion.
A local man belongs to a very exclusive club. He is the only Passaic County resident named to Forbes' annual list of the world's billionaires.
This year, eight New Jersey residents are on the list, which has 2,153 members worth a combined $8.7 trillion.
Melih Abdulhayoglu of Clifton is worth $1.8 billion.
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Abdulhayoglu founded Comodo in 1998 in the United Kingdom and moved the company to New Jersey in 2004. The company makes digital security products, including security certificates for websites.
He made his first money in 1989 by winning a patent prize offered by the British government. He has a bachelor's degree in engineering from the University of Bradford.
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The self-made billionaire is branching out into other venues. His eZLO makes smart home technology that is compatible with Amazon's Alexa. He is also developing a digital communications system for sharing access to computer files, printers, and serial ports on a network.
Two Bergen County men, Rocco Commisso and Larry Robbins, also made the list at No. 424 and No. 1,227, respectively. They are worth $4.5 and $1..9 billion.
For information about the other six New Jersey entrants on Forbes' list, click here.
Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com
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