Brian Chesky

Brian Chesky
Chesky in 2021
Born
Brian Joseph Chesky

(1981-08-29) August 29, 1981 (age 42)
Niskayuna, New York, U.S.
EducationRhode Island School of Design (BFA)
Occupation(s)CEO and co-founder, Airbnb

Brian Joseph Chesky (born August 29, 1981) is an American businessman and industrial designer and the co-founder and CEO of Airbnb. As of January 2024, Chesky is the 232nd richest person in the world according to Forbes, with a net worth of $9.4 billion,[1] mostly due to his ownership of 76 million shares of Airbnb.[2]

Early life and education

Brian Chesky was born on August 29, 1981, in Niskayuna, New York, the son of Deborah and Robert H. Chesky;[3] His father is of Polish and his mother of Italian origin.[4] Chesky's parents were both social workers.[5][6] He has a younger sister, Allison.[5] As a child, Chesky was interested in art, drawing replicas of paintings, and design, redesigning shoes and toys.[5] He later became interested in landscape architecture and design.[7]

Chesky graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in 2004 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in industrial design.[8][9] While studying at RISD, Chesky was influenced by the works of Charles Eames, Ray Eames, and Walt Disney.[10][11] He was captain of the RISD hockey team and in his early 20s was a competitive bodybuilder.[5][8]

Career

After graduating from RISD, Chesky moved to Los Angeles to work as an industrial designer.[12] In October 2007, he moved to San Francisco to live with RISD classmate Joe Gebbia.[5] Chesky did not have enough money to pay his rent, and decided with Gebbia to open their house to short-term renters. His move to San Francisco coincided with the Industrial Designers Society of America conference, which ran out of hotel rooms. The pair decided to open the house they were renting as a bed and breakfast, providing air mattresses for guests to sleep on and Pop-Tarts for breakfast. The business became Airbnb.[12][5]

Chesky became the leader and chief executive officer of Airbnb. To receive funding, Chesky and his co-founders created special-edition cereals called "Obama O's" and "Cap'n McCains", based on presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain.[13][14][15][16] Impressed by the cereal boxes, computer programmer Paul Graham invited the founders to the January 2009 winter training session of his startup incubator, Y Combinator, which provided them with training and $20,000 in funding in exchange for a 6% interest in the company.[17]

In December 2020, Airbnb became a public company via an initial public offering.[18]

Recognition

In 2015, Chesky was included on the Forbes list of America's Richest Entrepreneurs Under 40.[19] Chesky was recognized on the Time 100 for 2015.[18]

In May 2015, President Barack Obama named Chesky an Ambassador of Global Entrepreneurship.[20]

In 2016, Chesky was also named in the Youngest Forbes 400 list.[21]

In 2018, Chesky was named the Bay Area Executive of the Year by American City Business Journals.[22]

In June 2022, Chesky was featured among the 100 Most Powerful People in Global Hospitality by the International Hospitality Institute.[23]

Personal life

In December 2022, Chesky listed his home in San Francisco's Mission District on Airbnb.[24][25]

Philanthropy

On June 11, 2016, Chesky joined Warren Buffett and Bill Gates' The Giving Pledge, a group of billionaires who have committed to giving the majority of their wealth away.[26]

In May 2022, Chesky donated $100 million to the Obama Foundation to launch a scholarship program for students pursuing careers in public service. The Voyager Scholarship aims to support students in their junior and senior year of college with up to $50,000 in financial aid, a $10,000 stipend, and free Airbnb housing to pursue a summer work-travel experience; a $2,000 travel credit every year for 10 years following graduation; an annual summit; and a network of mentors.[27]

References

  1. ^ "Brian Chesky". Forbes.
  2. ^ "Airbnb, Inc. 2022 Form 14-A Proxy Statement". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. April 21, 2023.
  3. ^ "Harry Chesky Obituary". Times Union. October 4, 2008 – via Legacy.com.
  4. ^ Stone, Brad (February 2, 2017). The Upstarts: How Uber, Airbnb and the Killer Companies of the New Silicon Valley are Changing the World. Transworld. ISBN 9781473527027.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Gallagher, Leigh (June 26, 2015). "The education of Airbnb's Brian Chesky". Fortune.
  6. ^ Cohen, Anne (April 16, 2015). "Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Amy Schumer and Bibi Make Time 100 List". The Forward.
  7. ^ Bryant, Adam (October 11, 2014). "Brian Chesky of Airbnb, on Scratching the Itch to Create". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.
  8. ^ a b Hartmans, Avery (July 22, 2017). "The fabulous life of Airbnb's Brian Chesky, one of the youngest and richest tech founders in America". Business Insider.
  9. ^ "Airbnb Co-Founder, CEO and Head of Community Brian Chesky to Deliver Keynote Address at Rhode Island School of Design's 2017 Commencement" (Press release). Rhode Island School of Design. May 19, 2017.
  10. ^ Stone, Brad (2017). The Upstarts. Little, Brown and Company. pp. 213, 326. ISBN 978-0-316-38839-9.
  11. ^ Lee, Dave (May 1, 2021). "Airbnb's Brian Chesky: 'The trick is to be optimistic'". Financial Times. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  12. ^ a b Friedman, Thomas L. (July 20, 2013). "Welcome to the 'Sharing Economy'". The New York Times. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  13. ^ Spors, Kelly (August 11, 2008). "The Business of Politics". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on February 21, 2017.
  14. ^ Rusli, Evelyn (July 7, 2011). "The New Start-Ups at Sun Valley". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 28, 2018.
  15. ^ Peng, Tina (March 24, 2010). "Where to get startup cash now". CNN. Archived from the original on August 1, 2022.
  16. ^ Malik, Om (February 22, 2011). "What Every Startup Can Learn From AirBnB". GigaOm. Archived from the original on September 28, 2022.
  17. ^ Fairweather, Alistair (March 12, 2013). "Brian Chesky: The homeless entrepreneur". Mail & Guardian.
  18. ^ a b Ive, Jonathan (April 16, 2015). "Time 100 Pioneers: Brian Chesky". Time.
  19. ^ Kroll, Luisa (December 12, 2016). "40 Under 40". Forbes.
  20. ^ Brayton, Jenna (May 11, 2015). "The White House Celebrates Entrepreneurs Around the World". whitehouse.gov – via National Archives and Records Administration.
  21. ^ Vinton, Kate (October 4, 2016). "Brian Chesky". Forbes.
  22. ^ "Brian Chesky grew Airbnb from three airbeds in a living room to the biggest force in hospitality. He's the 2018 Executive of the Year (Video)". American City Business Journals. December 18, 2018.
  23. ^ "Dr Jeffrey Obomeghie and Dupe Olusola among the 100 most powerful people in global hospitality". Pulse Nigeria. August 1, 2022.
  24. ^ BIENASZ, GABRIELLE (November 16, 2022). "Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky Is Renting Out His Home...On Airbnb: See The Photos". Entrepreneur.
  25. ^ "The low-key SF neighborhood where Airbnb and Instagram founders live". The San Francisco Standard. December 23, 2022. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  26. ^ "Airbnb Cofounders Join Buffett and Gates' 'Giving Pledge'". Fortune. June 1, 2016.
  27. ^ "Obama Foundation, Brian Chesky launch $100 million scholarship program". Candid. May 17, 2022.
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