I broke the record back in 1992: Fermigier, Stéfane - Un exemple de courbe elliptique définie sur Q de rang ≥19. (French) [An example of an elliptic curve defined over Q with rank ≥19] C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris Sér. I Math. 315 (1992), no. 6, 719–722.
And again in 1997: Fermigier, Stéfane - Une courbe elliptique définie sur Q de rang ≥22. (French) [An elliptic curve defined over Q of rank ≥22] Acta Arith. 82 (1997), no. 4, 359–363.
Noam Elkies was already a major contributor to the field at the time. I dropped math to do computer stuff :)
I guess I thought that I could make a bigger dent in the universe as an open source entrepreneur than as a mathematician. Also, the fact that, at the time, the decision to switch course was not irreversible, given a new French law that had passed shortly before (i.e. I could go back to the university where I was already tenured if I didn't succeed in 6 years).
And again in 1997: Fermigier, Stéfane - Une courbe elliptique définie sur Q de rang ≥22. (French) [An elliptic curve defined over Q of rank ≥22] Acta Arith. 82 (1997), no. 4, 359–363.
Noam Elkies was already a major contributor to the field at the time. I dropped math to do computer stuff :)