Robert J. Shillman

Statue of Robert J. Shillman with a cat called Yitz at Technion – Israel Institute of Technology

Robert Joel Shillman (born April 6, 1946) is an American businessman, electrical engineer and political financier. Cognex is a provider of machine vision systems, sensors, and industrial ID readers used in automated manufacturing. Shillman holds a B.S.E.E. from Northeastern University as well as an M.S.E.E. and a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is a major donor to Israel and a number of international far-right activities.

Cognex was one of the first companies to explore commercial applications for machine vision in the early 1980s. By the 1990s, Cognex's business had grown substantially due to the demand for machine vision to help automate semiconductor and electronics manufacturing. The company went public on the NASDAQ exchange in 1989.

Professional recognition Shillman was named Inc. magazine's Entrepreneur of the Year in 1990, received an Achievement Award in Leadership from the Automated Imaging Association in 1992, and received the North American SEMI Award in 2005 and is considered a "Trustee Emeritus" by the university.

Political activities Shillman sits on boards of The Friends of the Israel Defense Forces, The Jewish Foundation for the Righteous, and the David Horowitz Freedom Center. In May 2008, President George W. Bush appointed him to serve on the Honorary Delegation to accompany him to Jerusalem for the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the State of Israel.

He has funded Brigitte Gabriel's ACT for America, James O'Keefe's Project Veritas, FrontPage Magazine and Rebel News, and has argued against the US accepting Syrian Muslim refugees.

He has been described as a counter-jihad "elite" and high-profile financier. In and around August 2017, he funded several far-right counter-jihad activists who were appointed "Shillman Fellows". Among these fellows were Laura Loomer, Raheem Kassam and Katie Hopkins.

In January 2021, it was revealed by OpenSecrets that Shillman paid nearly $214,000 in 2017 to help Dutch politician Geert Wilders pay for his successful legal defence in an indictment for hate speech against Muslims in general and Moroccans in particular.

In November 2025 it was revealed that he pulled a $2,000,000 pledge from Turning Point USA due to Charlie Kirk's involvement with Tucker Carlson.

Philanthropy He instituted the Cognex Community Donations Program, which supports several causes in the towns and cities where the company's regional offices are located.

Shillman also established the Perseverance Awards at Cognex to reward those individuals who have devoted significant time to the company's success. The awards increase in value, and when an employee reaches 25 years of service they are given the opportunity to become a philanthropist. The company sets up a charitable giving account in the employee's name and under their control, funded with $25,000 to donate to the employee's choice of IRS-approved charities.

Starting in 2006, Shillman has waived his annual salary and bonus at Cognex and has requested that those amounts be donated each year to charity.