We are heartbroken to announce that Peter White, our founder and CEO, has passed away suddenly.
Few have blended journalistic swagger with analyst edge like Peter White has over a glistening career. He was a rare breed and has instilled a distinctive ethos among the teams and products forged under the umbrella of Rethink Technology Research, which he co-founded 20 years ago.
A challenger to C-suite executives and technologists the world over, Peter will be remembered for his fierce interview techniques, cutthroat writing style, and unrivaled talent for crystal ball reading – building a reputation as one of the world’s most trusted sources of technology market analysis.
Many will remember Peter for his elephant’s memory, wicked humor, and as a maverick who savored his troublemaker status at press conferences – where he would take great joy in letting everyone know he was the smartest person in the room.
He was also a husband, a father, and a recently proud grandfather.
From Peter’s oldest fans to his former foes, we encourage you to reminisce with the Rethink Technology Research team to discuss his various antics throughout his many successful years.
Peter witnessed Rethink Energy pass the milestone of publishing its 200th issue just a few months ago. He was directly involved in writing all of these before he began the process of stepping back more recently, helping countless companies survive shifting industry trends. Peter has penned millions of words that will live on indefinitely, many in infamy for saying things others simply could not see, or were too scared to say publicly.
These words are rooted not only in Rethink’s brands – Faultline, Rethink TV, Wireless Watch, RAN Research, and Rethink Energy – but also in the legacy of the Computerwire magazine he started in 1984, which became one of the first to embrace internet publishing.
Here is a timeless quote written by Peter, pulled from a recent issue about where he thought oil majors might end up.
“One thing for certain however is that Big Oil will not go quietly, and if you think that the legal actions against major oil companies due to them hiding climate change and lobbying against decarbonization were worrying, just wait until Big Oil is no longer big enough to defend itself by buying politicians and its bankruptcies cause global financial aftershocks.”
While it is still early days in the fight to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy sources, Peter’s words have inspired many, throughout the industries he worked in and beyond, to speak their mind in support of what they believed in, even if this was contrary to popular belief. His legacy will live on not only in what he has personally achieved but also through the countless people he inspired to take action towards fighting for the change they believe needs to happen, no matter how difficult that road may be.