- Airbnb announced Thursday its plans to go public in 2020.
- Brian Chesky is the company's cofounder and CEO, and is worth an estimated $4.2 billion.
- Here's everything you need to know about the 38-year-old Chesky, a former bodybuilder who has grown Airbnb into a $31 billion company in just over 10 years.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Brian Chesky didn't know much about tech before starting Airbnb.
The now-38-year-old CEO majored in industrial design in college, and dabbled in hockey and bodybuilding in his 20s. But now, he's grown an idea that stemmed from overbooked hotels into a multi-billion-dollar startup, and has become one of Silicon Valley's key players.
On Thursday, Airbnb announced it was planning to go public in 2020, the latest step for a company last valued at $31 billion.
Here's how the Brian Chesky, an upstate New York native, became one of the richest young tech founders in America:
Chesky grew up in Niskayuna, New York, north of Albany. He was into hockey, and he also liked to draw and design new versions Nike sneakers, which turned into an interest in art.
Source: Fortune
Chesky's high school yearbook quote was "I'm sure I'll amount to nothing." He thought it was funny — his dad didn't.
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"Earlier this year, he was happy to find out I'd be speaking at both my high school and college as the commencement speaker," Chesky wrote on Instagram in 2017. "See you soon Dad!"
In 1999, Chesky attended Rhode Island School of Design, where he served as captain of the hockey team and studied industrial design.
Source: Fortune
At RISD, Chesky met Joe Gebbia, with whom he would eventually cofound Airbnb. Right before graduation, Gebbia reportedly pulled Chesky aside and said: "Before you get on the plane, there's something I need to tell you. We're going to start a company one day, and they're going to write a book about it."
Source: Fortune
In his early 20s, Chesky was a competitive bodybuilder. He was described in a 2014 profile as still having "16-inch biceps."
In a 2014 Fast Company profile, Chesky is described as an imposing figure: "A former hockey player and bodybuilder with 16-inch biceps, the CEO commands attention. His boomerang grin and slant nose work to sharply focus his attention on you. Rather than turn his head toward me, he physically picks up his chair and pivots it directly so we're eye to eye."
After graduating from RISD, Chesky moved to Los Angeles to work as an industrial designer, for which he made $40,000 a year.
Source: Forbes
But shortly thereafter, he moved to San Francisco and in with Gebbia. The two unemployed grads soon ran out of cash. When a design conference came to town in October 2007 and caused all the hotels to sell out, Gebbia pitched Chesky the idea of renting out their space to those who couldn't find a place to stay — a "designers bed and breakfast."
https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/699646672125558784
Here is the email that started Airbnb. Shown onstage at #TED#TED2016pic.twitter.com/A2ZF9Epcxj
Source: Fortune
The roommates ended up housing three people at their house that weekend, offering up air mattresses and floor space, as well as Pop-Tarts for breakfast.
A few months later, Gebbia and Chesky were joined by their engineering friend, Nathan Blecharczyk. Together, the three guys started what was at the time called Airbedandbreakfast.com in August 2008. Chesky "gravitated naturally to the role of leader," Fortune wrote in 2015.
Source: Fortune
Since then, Airbnb has not only shortened its name, but has expanded to listings in more than 100,000 cities and 7 million listings worldwide. The company has served an estimated 500 million guests since its 2008 launch. Airbnb was last valued at $31 billion, making it one of the most valuable startups in the US.
Source: Airbnb, PitchBook
Now 38, Chesky's net worth stands at $4.2 billion. It's unclear how much of a stake Chesky owns in Airbnb, but it's estimated at just under 15%.
Source: Forbes
In 2015, Chesky was named to the Time 100 as one of the most influential people alive. Apple's former design chief, Jony Ive, wrote at the time that Chesky's "audacity is fabulous."
Source: Business Insider
Chesky is currently dating artist Elissa Patel, who he met on Tinder in 2013. Chesky and Patel do yoga together each week, and book staycations in Airbnb listings throughout San Francisco.
Source: Fortune
They have a golden retriever named Sir Richard Parker who hangs out at Airbnb headquarters and accompanies them on road trips.
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In 2016, Chesky, as well as Airbnb's two other cofounders, all publicly signed the Giving Pledge, a philanthropic initiative started by Warren Buffett and Bill and Melinda Gates. By doing so, they promise donate more than half of their wealth within their lifetimes.
Source: Business Insider
Up until 2016, Chesky was still renting out his couch in his San Francisco apartment on Airbnb. But after getting caught flouting a San Francisco law that requires hosts to register with the city, Chesky was forced to take the listing down.
Source: Business Insider
While he remains CEO, Chesky handed over daily operations of the company to Blecharczyk in 2014. These days, Chesky remains focused on Airbnb's future moves.
Source: Vanity Fair
Airbnb announced in September that it planned to go public in 2020. Chesky and the other cofounders have long hinted at the IPO, although they didn't offer any specifics about their plans in their most recent announcement.
Source: Business Insider