Oracle co-CEO Mark Hurd is dead at 62

Oracle co-CEO Mark Hurd, who led two Silicon Valley giants, has died at 62.

Oracle confirmed his death Friday, but gave no cause. Hurd was on medical leave, which Oracle announced in September.

During his career, Hurd ran both Oracle and computer and printer maker Hewlett-Packard. Hurd joined Oracle as co-president in 2010 a month after leaving HP. He resigned from HP following accusations of sexual harassment by a female contract worker.

In that pre-#MeToo era, Hurd's departure from HP was a significant Silicon Valley drama. An investigation found while Hurd didn't violate sexual harassment policies, he submitted inaccurate expense reports connected to outings with his accuser.

Hurd said he didn't try to conceal his dinners with the contractor after events she helped organize.

Hurd settled with the contractor in 2010. HP's stock price more than doubled during Hurd's five-year stint as CEO, adding about USD 50 billion to the company's market value.

During the scandal, Oracle chairman Larry Ellison came to Hurd's defense, railing against HP for disclosing the harassment claim, calling it "cowardly corporate political correctness." He said ousting Hurd was the worst personnel decision since Apple forced out Steve Jobs a quarter-century earlier.

In a note to Oracle employees, Ellison said that he will miss Hurd, whom he termed a close and irreplaceable friend.

In the official notice of Hurd's medical leave a month earlier, Ellison said that Hurd had requested an absence "to address some health related issues and we all wish him a speedy recovery."