A QUIET PASSION FOR PERFORMANCE

What makes Ned Johnson rare is that like Bill Gates, he is both a nerd and a predator. He adores technology and understands it as few ceos do. He is also an unalloyed capitalist who pursues market share relentlessly. Johnson's double vision makes him a formidable competitor and one of those rare sons who increase exponentially the patrimonies of their fathers.

Edward Crosby Johnson 3d is at once shy and effusive. He talks volubly with strangers and laughs a lot, but his bonhomie seems to come with effort. He is a private man who owns a private company. He dismisses as...