Born August 5, 1967, Reid Hoffman is an American public speaker, entrepreneur, podcaster, author, and venture capitalist. Most know Hoffman as the co-founder of LinkedIn, but the billionaire was also involved at PayPal in the early days and is a current partner at VC firm Greylock Partners. Hoffman attended Stanford University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Symbolic Systems and Cognitive Science in 1990. He later earned a Master of Studies in Philosophy from Wolfson College, Oxford, in 1993.
Key Components
Education
Hoffman attended Stanford University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Symbolic Systems and Cognitive Science in 1990.
Early career
Determined to pursue a career in business, Hoffman joined Apple in 1994 and worked on an early service called eWorld which offered email, news, software, and a bulletin board system.
PayPal
Hoffman also sat on the board of directors of PayPal in the late 1990s and joined the company in a full-time capacity as COO in 2000 after leaving SocialNet.com.
LinkedIn
Hoffman founded LinkedIn with an assortment of former colleagues from SocialNet.com and PayPal.
Angel investing
More or less after the sale of PayPal to eBay, Hoffman started on a journey that would see him become one of Silicon Valley’s most prolific and successful angel investors.
Speaking and writing
Hoffman has not completely abandoned his interest in being a public intellectual.
Reid Hoffman: Co-founder of LinkedIn and Serial Entrepreneur
Read Next: Bill Gates Companies , Jeff Bezos Companies , Elon Musk Companies .
Real-World Examples
AirbnbAmazonAppleEbayFacebookFedex
Quick Answers
What is Education?
Hoffman attended Stanford University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Symbolic Systems and Cognitive Science in 1990.
What is Early career?
Determined to pursue a career in business, Hoffman joined Apple in 1994 and worked on an early service called eWorld which offered email, news, software, and a bulletin board system.
What is PayPal?
Hoffman also sat on the board of directors of PayPal in the late 1990s and joined the company in a full-time capacity as COO in 2000 after leaving SocialNet.com.
Key Insight
Born August 5, 1967, Reid Hoffman is an American public speaker, entrepreneur, podcaster, author, and venture capitalist. Most know Hoffman as the co-founder of LinkedIn, but the billionaire was also involved at PayPal in the early days and is a current partner at VC firm Greylock Partners.
Exec Package + Claude OS Master Skill | Business Engineer Founding Plan
FourWeekMBA x Business Engineer | Updated 2026
Born August 5, 1967, Reid Hoffman is an American public speaker, entrepreneur, podcaster, author, and venture capitalist. Most know Hoffman as the co-founder of LinkedIn, but the billionaire was also involved at PayPal in the early days and is a current partner at VC firm Greylock Partners.
Category
Details
Full Name
Reid Garrett Hoffman
Date of Birth
August 5, 1967
Place of Birth
Palo Alto, California, USA
Nationality
American
Education
Bachelor of Science in Symbolic Systems from Stanford University, Master of Studies in Philosophy from Oxford University
Early Career
Worked at Apple and Fujitsu, Co-founder of social networking site SocialNet
Major Companies Founded
SocialNet, LinkedIn
Positions
Co-founder and Executive Chairman of LinkedIn, Partner at Greylock Partners
Major Projects
LinkedIn professional networking platform, Investment in various tech startups through Greylock Partners
Notable Achievements
LinkedIn’s growth to over 700 million users, Significant influence in Silicon Valley as a venture capitalist
Net Worth
Estimated around $2 billion (as of 2023)
Personal Life
Married to Michelle Yee, Active on social and political issues
Philanthropy
Donated to various educational and technological causes, Co-founder of Endeavor Global, a non-profit supporting high-impact entrepreneurs
Vision for Future
Advocate for responsible technology development, Supporter of AI advancements and ethical considerations
Awards and Honors
Received the David Packard Medal of Achievement from TechAmerica, Recognized in Forbes’ Midas List of top tech investors
Hoffman attended Stanford University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Symbolic Systems and Cognitive Science in 1990.
He later earned a Master of Studies in Philosophy from Wolfson College, Oxford, in 1993.
Hoffman initially wanted to impact the world on an appreciable scale and planned to become a public intellectual and professor once he graduated.
However, he soon realized that he could make a greater impact as a businessman than he could as an academic.
Early career
Determined to pursue a career in business, Hoffman joined Apple in 1994 and worked on an early service called eWorld which offered email, news, software, and a bulletin board system.
After a brief stint at Fujitsu, he then founded the online dating turned social and professional networking platform SocialNet.com in 1997.
The platform failed because no one knew what it was supposed to be, but billionaire entrepreneur Peter Thiel nevertheless called it an idea that was years ahead of its time.
PayPal
PayPal makes money primarily by processing customer transactions on the Payments Platform and other value-added services. Thus, the revenue streams are divided into transaction revenues based on the volume of activity or total payments volume—and value-added services, such as interest and fees earned on loans and interest receivable. In 2023, PayPal generated nearly $30 billion in revenues and $4.24 billion in net profits.
Hoffman also sat on the board of directors of PayPal in the late 1990s and joined the company in a full-time capacity as COO in 2000 after leaving SocialNet.com.
Two years later, Hoffman became PayPal’s vice president and was praised for his ability to compete successfully in what was an extremely crowded market.
Thiel also noted that Hoffman “was the firefighter-in-chief at PayPal. Though that diminishes his role because there were many, many fires.” This role encompassed responsibility for payments infrastructure, business development, government, and legal.
LinkedIn is a two-sided platform running on a freemium model, where to unlock unlimited search and other features, you need to switch to a paid account. In addition, LinkedIn is the most successful B2B advertising platform. In fact, by 2022, with over 850 million members, LinkedIn generated over $6 billion in revenues through its Talent Solutions and over $5 billion through its Marketing Solutions (B2B advertising platform). Acquired by Microsoft for $27 billion in 2016, LinkedIn might now be worth anywhere between $100-150 billion.
Hoffman founded LinkedIn with an assortment of former colleagues from SocialNet.com and PayPal.
Importantly, Hoffman had learned from his past failure with SocialNet.com where the platform had tried to do too much:
“One of the things I learned from the whole experience, was that you should focus on one domain that really matters to people and just do that really well.”
More or less after the sale of PayPal to eBay, Hoffman started on a journey that would see him become one of Silicon Valley’s most prolific and successful angel investors.
He joined VC firm Greylock Partners in 2010 and made an early investment in Airbnb.
Since that time, Hoffman has also invested in Flickr, Edmodo, Helion Energy, Aurora, Blockstream, and Coda, among many others.
Speaking and writing
Hoffman has not completely abandoned his interest in being a public intellectual.
He has spoken at TED conferences and Accelerate Good Global – an event uniting tech non-profit entrepreneurs.
He also works as a lecturer at Stanford University, Oxford University, MIT Media Lab, and Harvard University.
In terms of writing, Hoffman has written various posts as a “LinkedIn influencer” with one example an essay advocating for a new way to credential university students.
Some of the books Hoffman has co-authored include The Alliance, Masters of Scale, and Blitzscaling– a technique for scaling a business at a rapid pace to destroy its competitors.
Blitzscaling is a business concept and a book written by Reid Hoffman (LinkedIn Co-founder) and Chris Yeh. At its core, the concept of Blitzscaling is about growing at a rate that is so much faster than your competitors, that make you feel uncomfortable. In short, Blitzscaling is prioritizing speed over efficiency in the face of uncertainty.
Key takeaways:
Born August 5, 1967, Reid Hoffman is an American public speaker, entrepreneur, podcaster, author, and venture capitalist.
Hoffman initially wanted to make a sizeable impact on the world and planned to become a public intellectual and professor once he graduated from Stanford University. However, he soon realized that he could make a greater impact as a businessman.
Hoffman learned from his failures at SocialNet.com when he founded LinkedIn in 2002 with some of his former employees from that platform and also from PayPal. Since then, he has become a prolific angel investor and has not abandoned his passion for speaking and writing on meaningful topics.
Reid Hoffman: Co-founder of LinkedIn and Serial Entrepreneur
Introduction: Reid Hoffman, born on August 5, 1967, is an American entrepreneur, author, venture capitalist, and public speaker.
Education: Hoffman graduated from Stanford University with a degree in Symbolic Systems and Cognitive Science in 1990. He later earned a Master of Studies in Philosophy from Oxford University and an MBA from Stanford.
Early Career: After working at Apple on the eWorld project, he co-founded the online dating and networking platform SocialNet.com. Despite its failure, Hoffman’s experiences shaped his future successes.
PayPal: Hoffman joined PayPal as COO and played a significant role in managing various aspects of the company’s growth, including payments infrastructure and legal matters.
LinkedIn: Co-founded LinkedIn in 2002, focusing on building a platform that excelled in a specific domain. The platform’s growth was steady, and it reached millions of users within a few years.
Angel Investing: After PayPal’s acquisition by eBay, Hoffman became a prolific angel investor, making early investments in companies like Airbnb, Flickr, and more.
Venture Capital: He joined VC firm Greylock Partners and continued his successful investment career, leveraging his insights and network.
Speaking and Writing: Hoffman remained involved in public intellectual endeavors. He delivered talks at events like TED and Accelerate Good Global and lectured at prestigious universities. He also co-authored books like “The Alliance,” “Masters of Scale,” and “Blitzscaling.”
Blitzscaling: “Blitzscaling,” co-authored by Hoffman, presents a concept focused on rapid growth to outpace competitors, emphasizing speed over efficiency.
Warren Buffett is an American investor, business tycoon, and philanthropist. Known as the “Oracle of Omaha”, Buffett is best known for his strict adherence to value investing and frugality despite his immense wealth. He is among the wealthiest people in the world. Most of his wealth is tied up in Berkshire-Hathaway and its 65 subsidiaries.
Jeff Bezos was best known for founding eCommerce giant Amazon in 1994. However, the entrepreneur owns companies in several industries, including health care, retail, robotics, real estate, and media. Many of these companies have been acquired by Amazon over the years, but some have been the result of direct investment from Bezos himself (through his investment arm is called Bezos Expeditions).
Elon Musk is one of the richest people in the world, with his main ownership in Tesla, making him worth more than a hundred billion dollars. The companies founded by Elon Musk range from electric vehicles and renewable energies, with Tesla, rockets, with SpaceX, infrastructure with The Boring Company, and neurotechnology with Neuralink.
Bill Gates is an American business tycoon, software developer, investor, and more recently, philanthropist. After dropping out of Harvard University and founding Microsoft in 1975, Gates has at times been the richest man in the world with an estimated net worth of $129 billion. He founded Cascade Investment in 1995 to manage his investments outside of Microsoft. The firm employs over 100 people and has significant stakes in hotel, rail transport, beverage, and waste management companies. To further his philanthropic causes, he founded the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2000. The foundation holds almost $47 billion in assets and tackles entrenched global issues around poverty, healthcare, and climate change. The foundation also has several trust investments in companies such as Berkshire Hathaway, Caterpillar, FedEx, Walmart, and UPS.
Mark Zuckerberg is the largest shareholder in the company. Zuckerberg retains ownership and control of the company. Like Google, Facebook has issued two common stocks, Class A and Class B. The holders of Class B common stocks are entitled to ten votes per share, and holders of our Class A common stocks are entitled to one vote per share. Mark Zuckerberg has a voting power of 61.1%; he’s the primary decision-maker. Other individual investors comprise Sheryl Sandberg, Christopher Cox, Marc Andreessen, Peter Thiel, Dustin Moskovitz, and Eduardo Saverin.
Tim Cook’s net worth is primarily comprised of his Apple stocks. As of 2024, he owned 3,28 million shares of Apple worth over $600 million at the current rate. However, Tim Cook has sold part of his Apple stocks over the years for hundreds of millions of dollars, making him a billionaire.
Susan Wojcicki is a Polish-American businesswoman who currently serves as the CEO of YouTube. Wojcicki, an early Google employee, was also the company’s first marketing manager before later leading its advertising business.
Martin Lorentzon is a Swedish entrepreneur best known as the co-founder of the music streaming platform Spotify and digitalmarketing company Tradedoubler. Lorentzon’s passion for business harks back to his time at primary school. There, he reportedly told classmates of his ambition to become a billionaire by selling one matchbox to every person from China.
What are the key components of Who is Reid Hoffman??
The key components of Who is Reid Hoffman? include Full Name, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Nationality, Education. Full Name: Reid Garrett Hoffman Date of Birth: August 5, 1967
Hoffman attended Stanford University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Symbolic Systems and Cognitive Science in 1990.
How do you apply Who is Reid Hoffman? in practice?
He later earned a Master of Studies in Philosophy from Wolfson College, Oxford, in 1993.
What are the advantages and limitations of Who is Reid Hoffman??
Hoffman initially wanted to impact the world on an appreciable scale and planned to become a public intellectual and professor once he graduated.
What is Education?
Hoffman attended Stanford University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Symbolic Systems and Cognitive Science in 1990.
What is Early career?
Determined to pursue a career in business, Hoffman joined Apple in 1994 and worked on an early service called eWorld which offered email, news, software, and a bulletin board system.
What is PayPal?
Hoffman also sat on the board of directors of PayPal in the late 1990s and joined the company in a full-time capacity as COO in 2000 after leaving SocialNet.com.
What is LinkedIn?
Hoffman founded LinkedIn with an assortment of former colleagues from SocialNet.com and PayPal.
What is Angel investing?
More or less after the sale of PayPal to eBay, Hoffman started on a journey that would see him become one of Silicon Valley’s most prolific and successful angel investors.
What is Speaking and writing?
Hoffman has not completely abandoned his interest in being a public intellectual.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Who is Reid Hoffman??
Born August 5, 1967, Reid Hoffman is an American public speaker, entrepreneur, podcaster, author, and venture capitalist. Most know Hoffman as the co-founder of LinkedIn, but the billionaire was also involved at PayPal in the early days and is a current partner at VC firm Greylock Partners. Hoffman attended Stanford University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Symbolic Systems and Cognitive Science in 1990.
What is Education?
Hoffman attended Stanford University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Symbolic Systems and Cognitive Science in 1990.
What is Early career?
Determined to pursue a career in business, Hoffman joined Apple in 1994 and worked on an early service called eWorld which offered email, news, software, and a bulletin board system.
What is PayPal?
Hoffman also sat on the board of directors of PayPal in the late 1990s and joined the company in a full-time capacity as COO in 2000 after leaving SocialNet.com.
What is LinkedIn?
Hoffman founded LinkedIn with an assortment of former colleagues from SocialNet.com and PayPal.
What is Angel investing?
More or less after the sale of PayPal to eBay, Hoffman started on a journey that would see him become one of Silicon Valley’s most prolific and successful angel investors.
What is Speaking and writing?
Hoffman has not completely abandoned his interest in being a public intellectual.
What is Reid Hoffman: Co-founder of LinkedIn and Serial Entrepreneur?
Read Next: Bill Gates Companies , Jeff Bezos Companies , Elon Musk Companies .
Gennaro is the creator of FourWeekMBA, which reached about four million business people, comprising C-level executives, investors, analysts, product managers, and aspiring digital entrepreneurs in 2022 alone | He is also Director of Sales for a high-tech scaleup in the AI Industry | In 2012, Gennaro earned an International MBA with emphasis on Corporate Finance and Business Strategy.
Reid Hoffman
Reid Garrett Hoffman (born August 5, 1967) is an American entrepreneur, venture capitalist and author. Hoffman is best known as the co-founder of LinkedIn, a social network used primarily for business connections and job searching.
Gennaro is the creator of FourWeekMBA, which reached about four million business people, comprising C-level executives, investors, analysts, product managers, and aspiring digital entrepreneurs in 2022 alone | He is also Director of Sales for a high-tech scaleup in the AI Industry | In 2012, Gennaro earned an International MBA with emphasis on Corporate Finance and Business Strategy.
