Hank Asher
Encyclopedia
Data fusion
Data fusion, is generally defined as the use of techniques that combine data from multiple sources and gather that information into discrete, actionable items in order to achieve inferences, which will be more efficient and narrowly tailored than if they were achieved by means of disparate...
. With a reported fortune of around US$500 million earned as the founder of several data fusion
Data fusion
Data fusion, is generally defined as the use of techniques that combine data from multiple sources and gather that information into discrete, actionable items in order to achieve inferences, which will be more efficient and narrowly tailored than if they were achieved by means of disparate...
/ data mining
Data mining
Data mining , a relatively young and interdisciplinary field of computer science is the process of discovering new patterns from large data sets involving methods at the intersection of artificial intelligence, machine learning, statistics and database systems...
companies that compile information about companies, individuals and their interrelationships from thousands of different electronic database
Database
A database is an organized collection of data for one or more purposes, usually in digital form. The data are typically organized to model relevant aspects of reality , in a way that supports processes requiring this information...
s. “He’s kind of a legend” among those who use investigative data tools, says Greg Lambert, a legal information specialist.
Asher dropped out of school at the age of 16 and worked as a draftsman
Technical drawing
Technical drawing, also known as drafting or draughting, is the act and discipline of composing plans that visually communicate how something functions or has to be constructed.Drafting is the language of industry....
in a local factory
Factory
A factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where laborers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...
. Later he worked in a union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
job painting radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
towers, with a house painting business on the side. Asher moved to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
to avoid the seasonal shutdown in painting, soon establishing a business painting condominium
Condominium
A condominium, or condo, is the form of housing tenure and other real property where a specified part of a piece of real estate is individually owned while use of and access to common facilities in the piece such as hallways, heating system, elevators, exterior areas is executed under legal rights...
s on Florida's Gold Coast. By the age of 21, he had 100 painters working for him and was reportedly grossing US$10 million a year.
In 1982 Asher smuggled cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
while living in the Bahamas over a seven-week stint, flying to Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
and Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
in his plane. Later he joined F. Lee Bailey and the Drug Enforcement Agency, convincing other Americans in Bahamas to exit the drug trade.
Asher touts his new company, TLO which stands for “The Last One” as having 100 times the power of his previous inventions. Development started in 2008 and in May of 2011, TLOxp came out of preliminary development. Usage has soared with over 80,000 Law Enforcement Investigators and over 17,000 commercial accounts. Asher says a “marketing blitzkrieg” is planned.
Enters data fusion business
Unemployed, Asher began operating as a freelance computerComputer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
programmer. In 1992, he started a business Database Technologies that used clusters of PCs to provide parallel supercomputing in place of more expensive mainframes and mini computers. His first contract was a data mining application for the insurance industry performed on records bought from the Florida's Department of Motor Vehicles.
DBT Online bought Asher out for US$147 million in 1999 after the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration suspended their contracts following revelations with Asher's involvements in drug dealing in the Bahamas and concerns that the company could potentially monitor targets of investigations.
Asher blames his ouster from Database Technologies on board member Kenneth Langone
Kenneth Langone
Kenneth Langone, is a venture capitalist, investment banker and financial backer of The Home Depot, and a former director of the New York Stock Exchange. He was elected as director of Yum! Brands effective October 7, 1997, and is a member of the Audit Committee. Langone is also a trustee of New...
who joined the company at his invitation.
After departing DBT Online, Asher founded Seisint in 1999 by merging two companies.
ChoicePoint Public Records filed a law suit against Asher and Seisint in 2001 at Palm Beach County Circuit Court
Circuit court
Circuit court is the name of court systems in several common law jurisdictions.-History:King Henry II instituted the custom of having judges ride around the countryside each year to hear appeals, rather than forcing everyone to bring their appeals to London...
, alleging Seisint stole technology, including source code and computer hardware. Asher counter-sued in 2001 in the Fort Lauderdale U.S. District Court
United States district court
The United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal court system. Both civil and criminal cases are filed in the district court, which is a court of law, equity, and admiralty. There is a United States bankruptcy court associated with each United States...
alleging unfair business practices by ChoicePoint Director Kenneth Langone
Kenneth Langone
Kenneth Langone, is a venture capitalist, investment banker and financial backer of The Home Depot, and a former director of the New York Stock Exchange. He was elected as director of Yum! Brands effective October 7, 1997, and is a member of the Audit Committee. Langone is also a trustee of New...
and sought more than US$1.6 billion in damages. Both suits were dismissed on 8 March 2005 after ChoicePoint settled with Asher.
While at Seisint, Hank Asher played a leading role in developing the Multistate Anti-Terrorism Information Exchange
Multistate Anti-Terrorism Information Exchange
The Multistate Anti-Terrorism Information Exchange Program, also known by the acronym MATRIX, was a federally funded data mining system originally developed for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement described as a tool to identify terrorist subjects....
(MATRIX) datamining system for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement
Florida Department of Law Enforcement
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is a Florida government agency. FDLE is composed of five programs: Executive Direction and Business Support, Criminal Investigations and Forensic Science, Criminal Justice Information, Criminal Justice Professionalism, and the Florida Capitol Police...
, described as a tool to help state law enforcement officials identify potential terrorists. The Matrix program was shut down in June 2005 after federal funding was cut in the wake of public concerns over privacy and state surveillance.
Seisint was later sold to Anglo-Dutch publishing giant Reed Elsevier in July 2004, for US$775 million and combined with its own data aggregation subsidiary, LexisNexis
LexisNexis
LexisNexis Group is a company providing computer-assisted legal research services. In 2006 it had the world's largest electronic database for legal and public-records related information...
. Asher had retained a large stake in the company and said in an interview that he would earn more than $250 million from the sale.
Asher has made considerable donations to US political parties and candidates amounting to US$735,000 from 1999 to 2004 including US$505,000 to the Democrats
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
.
Work with Missing and Exploited Children
Over the course of his career in the data business, Asher has donated the services of his respective companies to an indeterminable number of Law Enforcement Agencies and most notably the National Center for Missing and Exploited ChildrenNational Center for Missing and Exploited Children
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is a private, non-profit organization established in 1984 by the United States Congress.-Establishment and overview:...
. "No fewer than 109 children have been found as a direct result of Asher's help" according to Ernie Allen
Ernie Allen
Ernie Allen is an attorney serving as the President & CEO of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and a former Director of Public Health & Safety for the City of Louisville, Kentucky. He is a graduate of the University of Louisville where he became a member of Phi Kappa Tau...
, president of National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is a private, non-profit organization established in 1984 by the United States Congress.-Establishment and overview:...
. Asher is the largest private donor in the history of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is a private, non-profit organization established in 1984 by the United States Congress.-Establishment and overview:...
.
His latest venture, TLO, focuses directly on aiding these same groups in the mission of protecting children. Asher supplies Law Enforcement in all 50 States and 39 countries a system which identifies Pedophiles in cyberspace and is responsible for thousands of arrests and child rescues. He has attracted many prominent leaders to assist or support TLO:
- Bob ButterworthBob ButterworthRobert A. Butterworth is an American attorney and politician from the U.S. state of Florida.-Early life and career:Butterworth was born in Passaic, New Jersey, and moved to Florida with his family as a child. He received a degree in business administration from the University of Florida in 1965,...
, former Florida Attorney GeneralFlorida Attorney GeneralThe Florida Attorney General is an elected cabinet official in the U.S. state of Florida. The attorney general serves as the chief legal officer of the state....
, former Director Florida Department of Children and Families - Kenneth Hunter, former Chief Postal Inspector, United States Postal Inspection ServiceUnited States Postal Inspection ServiceThe United States Postal Inspection Service is the law enforcement arm of the United States Postal Service. Its jurisdiction is defined as "crimes that may adversely affect or fraudulently use the U.S...
- Mark Lunsford - Father, Jessica LunsfordJessica LunsfordJessica Marie Lunsford was a nine-year-old girl who was abducted from her home in Homosassa, Florida in the early morning of February 24, 2005. Believed held captive over the weekend, she was raped and later murdered by 47-year-old John Couey who lived nearby. The media covered the investigation...
- Mike Moore (U.S. politician), former Mississippi Attorney General
- Ed Smart - Father, Elizabeth Smart
- John WalshJohn WalshJohn Edward Walsh is an American television personality, criminal investigator, human and victim rights advocate and formerly the host, as well as creator, of America's Most Wanted...
- Host, America's Most WantedAmerica's Most WantedAmerica's Most Wanted is an American television program produced by 20th Television, and was the longest-running program of any kind in the history of the Fox Television Network until it was announced on May 16, 2011 that the series was canceled after twenty-three years, with the final episode...
, Founder, National Center for Missing and Exploited ChildrenNational Center for Missing and Exploited ChildrenThe National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is a private, non-profit organization established in 1984 by the United States Congress.-Establishment and overview:... - Revé Walsh - Founder, National Center for Missing and Exploited ChildrenNational Center for Missing and Exploited ChildrenThe National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is a private, non-profit organization established in 1984 by the United States Congress.-Establishment and overview:...
In April 2009, Reed Elsevier filed suit in Palm Beach County Circuit Court alleging Asher is violating his non-compete agreement through his latest venture, TLO. Reed Elsevier's attorney, Faith Gay states, "He is out trying to sell a commercial product. We're seeking damages for any harm that Asher has caused to our customer base...." Asher has responded with a counter-suit seeking $1 billion in damages. "This lawsuit is completely without merit, and is a sad and disingenuous attempt to slow down the enormous progress we are making in our efforts to rescue children from sexual predators. I have given my systems to NCMEC for free since 1993. Every child that is rescued because of one of my systems is a paycheck for my soul. The allegation that someday I would charge for this work is insane."
The case was dismissed 15 days prior to the expiration of the non-compete on September 1, 2009. Asher commented "I find it kind of hysterical that they sued me before I competed and the case was dismissed before the non-compete ended."
Cancer Research
Asher has researched Cancer since 2001 putting together a brilliant team of Doctors and Scientists. He started by philanthropically funding and working with Mayo ClinicMayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit medical practice and medical research group specializing in treating difficult patients . Patients are referred to Mayo Clinic from across the U.S. and the world, and it is known for innovative and effective treatments. Mayo Clinic is known for being at the top of...
Scientists on research projects he thought had promise. Simultaneously he started clinical trials in Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
to find a cure for his sister's newly diagnosed disease, Multiple Myeloma
Multiple myeloma
Multiple myeloma , also known as plasma cell myeloma or Kahler's disease , is a cancer of plasma cells, a type of white blood cell normally responsible for the production of antibodies...
.
In 2004, Asher formed JARI Research Foundation a philanthropic endeavor to support breakthrough cancer research. The foundation evolved into JARI Research Corporation a year later, in cooperation with the Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit medical practice and medical research group specializing in treating difficult patients . Patients are referred to Mayo Clinic from across the U.S. and the world, and it is known for innovative and effective treatments. Mayo Clinic is known for being at the top of...
. Clinical trials are conducted in the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
.
Major Events
Asher has a history of dedicating his personal efforts and the resources of his companies in times of crisis. Two notable events are the September 11 attacks and Beltway sniper attacksBeltway sniper attacks
The Washington sniper attacks took place during three weeks in October 2002 in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. Ten people were killed and three others critically injured in various locations throughout the Washington Metropolitan Area and along Interstate 95 in Virginia...
.
September 11 attacks
In the wake of the September 11 attacks, Asher worked with the FBI, constructing a secure room inside the headquarters of his company at the time, Seisint. Asher and his team of programmers worked to identify associates of the terrorists, producing lists of individuals "worth investigating" later leading to "several arrests." Asher said “You could accidentally live next door to Mohammed Atta. You couldn’t accidentally live next door to Mohammed Atta twice.”Beltway sniper attacks
At the height of the Beltway sniper attacksBeltway sniper attacks
The Washington sniper attacks took place during three weeks in October 2002 in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. Ten people were killed and three others critically injured in various locations throughout the Washington Metropolitan Area and along Interstate 95 in Virginia...
, Asher worked with the FBI utilizing his data fusion
Data fusion
Data fusion, is generally defined as the use of techniques that combine data from multiple sources and gather that information into discrete, actionable items in order to achieve inferences, which will be more efficient and narrowly tailored than if they were achieved by means of disparate...
invention, the Multistate Anti-Terrorism Information Exchange
Multistate Anti-Terrorism Information Exchange
The Multistate Anti-Terrorism Information Exchange Program, also known by the acronym MATRIX, was a federally funded data mining system originally developed for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement described as a tool to identify terrorist subjects....
known as MATRIX to link investigation details to the real identity of John Allen Muhammad
John Allen Muhammad
John Allen Muhammad was a spree killer from the United States. He, along with his younger partner, Lee Boyd Malvo, carried out the 2002 Beltway sniper attacks, killing at least 10 people. Muhammad and Malvo were arrested in connection with the attacks on October 24, 2002, following tips from alert...
.
“They produced the list of all his relatives, associates, every place he ever lived,” Asher recounts. “The next morning they were in Tacoma, Washington, cutting the stump down that had the projectiles in it that matched the projectiles from the killings.” The next evening the snipers were apprehended.
External links
- Jari Research, loaded 2 April 2007
- TLO.com loaded 20 September 2007
- When maverick cyber-pioneer Hank Asher invented MATRIX, Vanity Fair, December 2004, loaded 14 March 2007
- Database pioneer ready for new adventure, South Florida Business Journal, 21 March 2005, loaded 2 April 2007
- Tracking Hank Asher, Gulfshore Life, Summer 2005, loaded 2 April 2007
- South Florida Docs On a Mission Of Mercy To Haiti, "CBS 4 News", 13 January 2010, loaded 14 January 2010
- Sourcewatch biography of Hank Asher