executive born december current ceo lee graduated bachelor degree mechanical engineering work laser fusion quit engineering job play drums country rock band band separated founded based cables invented manufactured garage lee audio cables met resistance audio time cord provided audio vendors free sales improved retailers witnessed audio demonstrations saw monster branded cables offered better profit margins electronics products lee credited building monster business shaping today audio components market early life born san_francisco california december san parents named born christmas day father worked china lee sisters lee parents moved san_francisco time communist party took power lee took interest music child described having diverse taste music kids age lee senior project effort improve quality audio electronics according lee high school experiences rough level discrimination asian americans time lee attended earned degree mechanical engineering engineer drummer job college laser fusion design engineer government run nuclear research center called nights weekends played drums asian country rock cover band called worked home audio equipment given opportunity world tour lee quit job engineer order band drummer members moved hawaii start tour cancelled weeks later promoter wanted straight rock band country influences left lee family stranded hawaii earn money travel home band covering popular songs order attract work took hawaii months breaking lee continued solo months returning engineering job worked independent small speaker companies san_francisco monster credited turning audio cable market profitable cottage industry changing consumer mindset audio cables way improve sound quality awarded plus lifetime achievement award role shaping market named year company founded household market share leader monster disclose industry analysts estimate company hugely profitable lee calls calls company culture monster attitude company best known audio carries different products home theater components products sold stores owns patents monster largest employers origins late 1970s wanted improve sound quality home audio equipment didn money lee experimented ways create better sound improving inexpensive worked family apartment later laws garage rented family moving richmond district lee experimented different winding methods qualities copper audio cables find alternative cord audio vendors gave free compared different wire listening lee called gauge audio cable created monster size according monster cable low resistance twin stranded design lee manufactured cable hand table sold door door according electronics retailer chance sell monster cables store lee spent personal savings demonstrate cables consumer electronics chicago borrowed portion exhibit area lee received positive response event founded known later year lee received order canadian distributor cables distributor wouldn pay products shipped lee took bank loan pay production cables according lee started company business experience strategy lee met resistance audio industry time didn believe cables difference sound wire normally provided free lee demonstrations retailers comparing monster cables cord convince consumers expensive equipment wasted cheap sales picked retailers saw opportunity higher profit margins led lee provide incentives retail sell spend money advertising led criticisms business model creates aggressive establishment years founded monster million annual revenues employees company growth primarily monster training sales staff electronics stores bundle cables electronics purchases effort company spent percent revenues lee kept company private grew business despite pressure public connection background musician lee founded record label signing daughter monster created numerous divisions products monster produced products including power gaming accessories cooling products according usa today article lee company developing furniture high end electronics built wireless products replace audio user interface consolidate consumer control electronics lee son worked collaborate beats brand later acquired apple billion according denies monster role design lee said beats engineers staff spent millions research development product started contract poorly constructed giving intellectual property beats wasn renewed lee bought rights san_francisco football stadium renamed citizens local government protested public facility adopted corporate local ballot passed revert stadium year deal monster expired sponsorship partially contentious recent local employees personal life married children step children son referred little monster started working company developed product line high tech furniture lee son later quit monster started audio company lawrence national laboratory lee exposed toxic radiation caused nerve disorder prevents walking wheelchair lee enjoys collecting collection old sports cars enjoys musicians counts friends member donated worth audio cables lee describes business ethic sleep dead lives california lee known throwing large parties consumer electronics spending time celebrities event
Noel Lee (executive)