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Brian Chesky
United States
Net Worth
$10B
Source of Wealth
Airbnb
Global Rank
#155 of 157
About Brian Chesky
Brian Joseph Chesky is the co-founder and CEO of Airbnb, the online marketplace that revolutionized the travel and hospitality industry by enabling anyone to rent out their home, apartment, or even a spare room to travelers. Born in Niskayuna, New York, Chesky grew up in a middle-class family — his parents were both social workers — and showed an early talent for art and design, eventually attending the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD).
The origin story of Airbnb has become one of the most famous in startup lore. In 2007, Chesky and his RISD classmate Joe Gebbia couldn't afford the rent on their San Francisco apartment. When a design conference came to town and hotels were sold out, they bought three air mattresses, set up a simple website called AirBed & Breakfast, and rented out sleeping spots on their living room floor for $80 a night. That desperate act of survival became the seed of a company now valued at over $100 billion.
The early years were grueling. Chesky and his co-founders maxed out credit cards, sold novelty cereal boxes (Obama O's and Cap'n McCain's) to fund the company, and were rejected by nearly every investor in Silicon Valley. Paul Graham's Y Combinator gave them their first break in 2009. From there, Airbnb grew relentlessly — but the ultimate test came in March 2020 when COVID-19 obliterated the travel industry overnight, wiping out 80% of Airbnb's business in eight weeks. Chesky responded by personally leading a complete redesign of the company in just six weeks, cutting costs, refocusing on local and long-term stays, and preparing for an IPO that valued Airbnb at $47 billion on its first day of trading in December 2020 — one of the greatest corporate turnarounds in history.
Key Achievements
Co-Founded Airbnb and Redefined Travel
Built Airbnb from three air mattresses on a living room floor into a $100 billion+ platform that has fundamentally changed how hundreds of millions of people travel and experience new places.
Survived the COVID-19 Near-Death Experience
When COVID-19 wiped out 80% of Airbnb's business in eight weeks, Chesky personally led a complete company redesign in six weeks, pivoting to local and long-term stays and ultimately taking the company public at a $47 billion valuation.
Created the Sharing Economy
Airbnb pioneered the concept of the sharing economy — the idea that ordinary people could monetize their unused assets — inspiring an entire generation of platform businesses across every industry.
Design-Driven Leadership
As a RISD-trained designer, Chesky brought a design-thinking approach to every aspect of Airbnb, from the user experience to the company culture, proving that design can be a competitive advantage at the highest levels of business.
IPO During a Pandemic
Took Airbnb public in December 2020 in the midst of a global pandemic, achieving one of the most successful IPOs of the year with shares more than doubling on the first day of trading.
Notable Quotes
“If we tried to think of a good idea, we wouldn't have been able to think of a good idea. You just have to find the solution for a problem in your own life.”
— Brian Chesky
“Build something 100 people love, not something 1 million people kind of like.”
— Brian Chesky
“Culture is simply a shared way of doing something with passion.”
— Brian Chesky
“Don't listen to your customers — live with your customers. Understand them at the deepest level.”
— Brian Chesky
Key Decisions
Rented out air mattresses in his San Francisco apartment to conference attendees, stumbling onto the idea that would become Airbnb — born out of necessity when he couldn't make rent.
Joined Y Combinator after being rejected by nearly every investor in Silicon Valley, gaining the mentorship and network that helped Airbnb find product-market fit.
Personally visited Airbnb hosts in New York City, photographing their listings and understanding their needs — a hands-on approach that became legendary in startup culture as 'doing things that don't scale.'
In the face of COVID-19 devastating the travel industry, personally led a six-week company redesign, making painful layoffs while pivoting the product toward local and long-term stays.
Took Airbnb public in December 2020 despite the ongoing pandemic, betting that the fundamental demand for travel and unique experiences would recover stronger than ever.
Deep Dives
Go deeper into what makes Brian Chesky exceptional.
Explore More
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