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Evan Spiegel

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Evan Thomas Spiegel is a prominent American and French businessman. He is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Snap Inc.

Evan Spiegel at TechCrunch 2
Evan Spiegel at TechCrunch 2

Spiegel is widely recognized for creating Snapchat, a social media application. This app uses ephemeral messaging, which means the messages are temporary and do not last forever. His work in technology has made him one of the most influential figures in the digital world. In 2014 and 2017, Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people globally.

The development of Snapchat began as a specific academic project. In April 2011, Spiegel proposed an app featuring ephemeral messaging for a product design class. He collaborated with two Stanford University classmates, Bobby Murphy and Reggie Brown. They initially developed a prototype named "Picaboo." They eventually renamed the application Snapchat. The app experienced rapid growth among users. By the end of 2012, the platform reached one million daily active users. This success led Spiegel to leave Stanford in 2012 to focus on his company. He eventually completed his remaining credits and graduated in 2018.

Spiegel's professional journey involved various roles before his major success. He attended the Crossroads School for Arts and Sciences in Santa Monica. He also studied design at Otis College of Art and Design and the Art Center College of Design. During his time as a student, he held several different positions. He completed an unpaid sales internship at Red Bull. He also worked as a paid intern for a biomedical company. Additionally, he served as a careers instructor in Cape Town, South Africa. He also worked on the TxtWeb project at Intuit.

Financial success followed the launch of Snap Inc. In 2015, Spiegel was identified as the youngest billionaire in the world. At that time, Forbes reported his personal net worth at $2.5 billion. His wealth grew significantly over the following years. By 2021, he was ranked number 55 on the Forbes 400 list. His wealth was estimated at $13.8 billion at that time. In March 2017, Snap began trading on the stock market. This made Spiegel one of the youngest CEOs of a public company at age 26.

The 7th Annual Crunchies Awards on February 10, 2014 in San Francisco
The 7th Annual Crunchies Awards on February 10, 2014 in San Francisco

Spiegel has also focused on philanthropy and social contributions. He and Bobby Murphy established the Snap Foundation. This non-profit organization aims to develop pathways to the creative economy for underrepresented youths in Los Angeles. They pledged to donate over 13,000,000 shares of Class A common stock to arts, education, and youth causes over 15 to 20 years. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they donated $3 million to those affected. In 2022, Spiegel donated $20 million to the Stockton Scholars scholarship program. He and his wife, Miranda Kerr, also paid off the student debt for the 2022 graduating class at Otis College of Art and Design.

Spiegel is involved in several international and professional organizations. He is a member of the Berggruen Institute's 21st Century Council and serves on its board of directors. In 2015, he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping as a member of this council. He also joined the board of directors for the investment management company Kohlberg Kravis Roberts in 2021. In November 2022, he joined the board of directors for the Gagosian Gallery. Because he is a Francophile, he learned the French language. In 2018, he and his son received French citizenship through specific naturalization laws.

His personal life includes his marriage to Australian model Miranda Kerr. They married in a private ceremony in Los Angeles on May 27, 2017. They have three sons together and one stepson from Kerr's previous marriage. In 2014, Spiegel faced controversy when private emails from his time at Stanford were leaked. The emails contained offensive and inappropriate comments. Spiegel issued a public statement expressing that he was mortified and embarrassed. He stated that he had been a "jerk" and that those words did not reflect his current views or his character.

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