Chamath Palihapitiya:
Chamath Palihapitiya, born on September 3, 1976, is a venture capitalist, engineer, SPAC sponsor, and the founder and CEO of Social Capital. He was an early senior executive at Facebook, where he worked from 2007 to 2011. After leaving Facebook, Palihapitiya established The Social+Capital Partnership, a fund that invested in companies like Yammer and Slack. The fund later changed its name to Social Capital in 2015. Palihapitiya is also a co-host of the technology podcast All In.
Some of his notable achievements include:
1. Early senior executive at Facebook:
Palihapitiya played a key role in the growth and monetization strategies of Facebook as an early senior executive, contributing to the company's success during his tenure from 2007 to 2011.
2. Founder and CEO of Social Capital:
Palihapitiya founded Social Capital, a venture capital firm that focuses on investing in disruptive technologies and companies with the potential for positive social impact. The firm has made successful investments in companies like Yammer, Slack, and others.
3. Successful investments:
Palihapitiya has made strategic investments in several companies that have achieved notable success. For example, Yammer, a social networking platform for businesses that Palihapitiya invested in, was later acquired by Microsoft, and Slack, a messaging and collaboration platform for teams, went public in 2019.
4. Technology podcast co-host:
Palihapitiya co-hosts the technology podcast All In with Chamath Palihapitiya & Jason Calacanis, where he shares his insights and opinions on technology, investing, and current events. The podcast has gained a significant following and has contributed to Palihapitiya's recognition as a thought leader in the industry.
5. Advocacy for social and environmental causes:
Palihapitiya has been an advocate for using technology to address social and environmental challenges. He has been involved in philanthropic efforts to support education and healthcare initiatives, and has used his platform to raise awareness about issues such as income inequality and climate change.
Some of the notable products and companies associated with Palihapitiya include:
1. Facebook:
While working as an early senior executive at Facebook, Palihapitiya contributed to the development of the platform and its monetization strategies during its formative years.
2. Social Capital:
Palihapitiya founded Social Capital, a venture capital firm that has invested in and supported numerous companies, including Yammer, Slack, Boxed, and Helion Energy, among others.
3. The Social+Capital Partnership:
Before Social Capital, Palihapitiya established The Social+Capital Partnership, a fund that made investments in companies like SecondMarket, Palantir Technologies, and SurveyMonkey. Palihapitiya has been involved in Virgin Galactic, a spaceflight company, as an investor and board member. Virgin Galactic aims to provide commercial space travel experiences for civilians.
4. Clover Health:
Palihapitiya's Social Capital has also invested in Clover Health, a health insurance technology company that uses data and analytics to improve healthcare outcomes for seniors.
5. Opendoor:
Palihapitiya's Social Capital has supported Opendoor, a technology-driven real estate company that offers a platform for buying and selling homes online.
 6. Slack:
Palihapitiya's investments through Social Capital also include Slack, a popular messaging and collaboration platform used by businesses and teams for communication and productivity.