Dagmar Dolby 101: Founder of Dolby Laboratories

In this article, we will delve into everything you need to know about Dagmar Dolby, the American billionaire that our readers are curious about at Zatrun.com.

Who is Dagmar Dolby?

Dagmar Dolby is an American philanthropist and billionaire, with a net worth of $5.5 billion as of December 2021. Her wealth stems from Dolby Laboratories, which was founded by her late husband, Ray Dolby. Born Dagmar Bäumert in Germany in 1941, Dolby grew up in Frankfurt. She met her future husband, Ray Dolby, in Cambridge, England in 1962, where he was a Marshall Scholar studying physics at the University of Cambridge.

The couple travelled to India for two years to provide consultancy services to the United Nations before returning to Great Britain by car. Ray founded Dolby Laboratories in London in 1965. The company became a pioneer in noise reduction and surround sound technologies, becoming the source of the Dolby family’s wealth. Dagmar Dolby and Ray married in 1966. Currently, Dolby resides in the Pacific Heights neighbourhood of San Francisco with her four grandchildren.

His Philanthropy Works

Dagmar Dolby and her family became a part of San Francisco’s social life and focused on philanthropy after moving to the city in California, where the new headquarters of Dolby Laboratories was established in 1976.

Her husband, Ray Dolby, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease around 2009, which led Dagmar to become actively involved in Alzheimer’s research and advocacy. In 2011, the Dolby family donated $21 million to the California Pacific Medical Center, although the donation was not announced until 2014.

By donating $16 million in 2006 and $20 million in 2011, they supported the construction of the Ray and Dagmar Dolby Regeneration Medicine Building at the University of California-San Francisco for stem cell research. Ray Dolby passed away in 2013, and Dagmar became the owner of almost half of Dolby Laboratories.

She financed the construction of Ray and Dolby Court, a student housing facility, at the University of Cambridge with a donation of $52.6 million in 2015. She became a signatory of The Giving Pledge to conduct research on reproductive rights, stem cell research, mood disorders, and Alzheimer’s disease in 2017.