Is James Gosling A-List?

NoB

No — James Gosling is currently ranked B tier — a well-known figure with a strong career but not quite a household name.

Reached A-list in 1995

Java Programming Language Created

Lost A-list status in 2017

Dropped to B tier — Liquid Robotics Engineer

Ranking Timeline

1984C$0.05M

Early Programming Career

Starts his career in computer science, developing software.

1984C$0.1M+$0.05M

Sun Microsystems Tenure

Joins Sun Microsystems, leading the development of Java.

1995A▲▲$1M+$0.9M

Java Programming Language Created

Java is released, revolutionizing software development.

2000A$10M+$9M

Java Widespread Adoption

Java becomes one of the most widely used programming languages.

2010A$20M+$10M

Oracle Acquisition Impact

Sun Microsystems is acquired by Oracle.

2011A$40M+$20M

Joins Google

Gosling joins Google to work on new software projects.

2017B▼$60M+$20M

Liquid Robotics Engineer

Works at Liquid Robotics, developing software for ocean robots.

2026B$70M+$10M

Java Legacy Continues

Legacy cemented by his work on Java, active in tech industry.

Last updated: February 25, 2026