William A. Porter

William Asbury Porter, Jr.
Born(1928-11-10)November 10, 1928
DiedOctober 15, 2015(2015-10-15) (aged 86)
Alma materAdams State College
Kansas State University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Known forFounder of E-Trade
Spouse(s)
Ava Guthrie
(div. 1974)

Joan
(m. 1990)
Children3

William A. Porter (1928–2015) was an American businessperson who, along with Bernard A. Newcomb founded the first electronic trading platform, E-Trade.

After the success of E-Trade, Porter also co-founded International Securities Exchange with Marty Averbuch and became the first chairman of ISE on his 70th birthday in 1998. Porter was the former chief executive officer, board member, and chairman emeritus of E-Trade.

In 2000, CNN called Porter the "forefather of online trading".

Later in his life he donated money to businesses and nonprofits benefiting organic farming, recreation and community building on Kauai's North Shore.