caption net_worth birth_place party birth_date spouse residence birthname image article_title education home_town
welch in 2012 '' ' peabody , massachusetts republican 19 november 1935 carolyn 1989 -- 2003 -rrb- suzy wetlaufer -lrb- 2004 -- present b. -rrb- osburn -lrb- 1959-87 -rrb- jane beasley -lrb- boston , massachusetts john francis welch , jr. . jackwelchapril2012.jpg jack welch
 1957 , university of illinois , msc , phd all in , chemical engineering university of massachusetts amherst , bsc 1960 salem , massachusetts
jack welch

john francis `` jack '' welch , jr. -lrb- born november 19 , 1935 -rrb- is a retired american business executive , author and chemical engineer .
he was chairman and ceo of general electric between 1981 and 2001 .
during his tenure at ge , the company 's value rose 4,000 % .
in 2006 , welch 's net worth was estimated at $ 720 million .
when he retired from ge he took a severance payment of $ 417 million , the largest such payment in history .
