J. Craig Venter, known as the "Godfather of Genetics," has been hailed as a pioneering scientist who revolutionized science and revolutionized new fields of science. He was brash, cranky, opinionated, and aggressive, but also a caring, kind, generous, and humane side to him. Venter's breakthrough breakthroughs included the first draft of the human genome and the first full plant and insect genomes, beating a consortium that spent billions of dollars and deployed massive government resources. Despite denigrating departments, universities, and entire ministries, Venter managed to disrupt these efforts. He also navigated the world's oceans with a high-stakes expedition to map biodiversity and microbial life, leading to the creation of the largest public data bank of all known genes from all species. Despite the denigration of his discoveries, he remained committed to the exploration of genes and risk management, studying risk management in Vietnam and serving as a medic in Vietnam.