Rick Snyder
A former tech executive turned governor who steered Michigan through Detroit's bankruptcy with a data-driven, 'one tough nerd' approach.
Born 1958 (age 68)·American politician and businessman·Birthday: August 19·Baby Boomers
Biography
Rick Snyder presented himself as a non-political fixer for a state in crisis. A certified public accountant, lawyer, and successful venture capitalist who helped grow Gateway computers, he entered the 2010 Michigan gubernatorial race as a political outsider. His campaign mantra, 'one tough nerd,' promised a pragmatic, business-like overhaul of state government. Once in office, he moved quickly to eliminate a massive budget deficit, cut business taxes, and pushed through a controversial emergency manager law. That law placed state-appointed managers in charge of financially distressed cities, most notably leading to the City of Detroit filing for the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history in 2013. Snyder's administration oversaw the complex restructuring, which ultimately cleared Detroit's debt. His second term, however, was dominated by the Flint water crisis, a public health disaster that began under a state-appointed emergency manager and severely damaged his legacy. His tenure remains a case study in applying corporate efficiency to government, with profoundly mixed results.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Rick was born in 1958, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Rick Was Born
The biggest hits of 1958
#1 Movie
South Pacific
Best Picture
Gigi
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Rick's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1958Born
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1963Started school
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1971Became a teenager
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Could drive
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1976Could vote
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Turned 21
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1988Turned 30
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 40
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 50
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 60
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 68 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Oversaw the City of Detroit's historic Chapter 9 bankruptcy filing and restructuring in 2013-2014.
- Signed legislation that made Michigan a 'right-to-work' state in 2012, a major shift in labor policy.
- Eliminated a $1.5 billion state budget deficit upon taking office in 2011 without raising general taxes.
- Established the Michigan Economic Development Corporation's 'Pure Michigan' tourism campaign as a major statewide initiative.
- Created the Michigan Strategic Fund to attract and retain business investment.
Did You Know?
Before politics, he was an early employee and later CEO of computer maker Gateway, where he was known for wearing a spotted cow-print tie.
He is a certified public accountant (CPA) and holds a law degree from the University of Michigan.
He co-founded two venture capital firms, Ardesta and Avalon Investments, focusing on tech startups.
During his tenure, Michigan's unemployment rate fell from over 11% to below 5%.
“I view myself as a problem solver. I'm not a politician. I'm a nerd.”
