A billionaire software developer fighting the largest single tax evasion case in U.S. history reportedly died Friday at his home in Houston.
Robert Brockman, 81, a self-taught software entrepreneur who developed a system that helped car dealerships run their operations virtually, had been fighting charges of money laundering and tax evasion from the IRS worth over $2 billion as of 2020.
Prosecutors said Brockman, who had a personal net worth of $4.7 billion, owned an $8 million mansion in Houston, a Colorado ski cabin, a Bormbardier jet and a 209-foot yacht , called “Turmoil”.
Brockman suffered from dementia and his lawyers had repeatedly argued that he was not competent to stand trial, but a judge ruled in May that the trial would go ahead. At a hearing in June, the judge set the trial date for February 2023, with Brockman appearing in court via video link from his bed.
Born in Florida, where his father ran a gas station and his mother worked as a physical therapist, Brockman filed dozens of patents and founded Reynolds & Reynolds, a software company that had more than 5,000 employees and was valued at more than $5 billion, reportedly. Bloomberg.
Billionaire software developer Robert Brockman passed away recently. Dave Rossman/Houston Chronicle via AP Robert Brockman was accused of evading more than $2 billion in taxes. DOJ court filing Robert Brockman is seen wearing a mask as he leaves a competency hearing in federal court in Houston. , Texas.Mark Felix/Bloomberg via Getty Images Robert Brockman was battling dementia.Brockman Foundation
In October 2020, federal prosecutors accused Brockman of using offshore companies, code names and phone numbers to hide more than $2 billion in income from the IRS, most of it earned through Vista Equity Partners, a private equity firm he helped launch.