Chamath Palihapitiya facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chamath Palihapitiya
|
|
|---|---|
Palihapitiya in 2025
|
|
| Born | 3 September 1976 |
| Citizenship |
|
| Education | University of Waterloo (BASc) |
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 2007–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Brigette Lau
(div. 2018)Nathalie Dompé
(m. 2023) |
| Children | 5 |
Chamath Palihapitiya (born 3 September 1976) is a businessman and investor from Sri Lanka, who also holds Canadian and American citizenship. He is the founder and CEO of a company called Social Capital. Before that, he was an important leader at Facebook from 2007 to 2011. Chamath is known for investing in new companies, using special investment tools called SPACs, being a part-owner of the Golden State Warriors basketball team, and co-hosting a popular business podcast called All-In.
Contents
Early Life and School
Chamath Palihapitiya was born in Sri Lanka. When he was five years old, his family moved to Canada. His father worked for the Sri Lankan government in Ottawa. Later, his family asked for protection in Canada because of problems in Sri Lanka.
Growing up, Chamath's family faced tough financial times. His mother worked hard in housekeeping jobs. When he was 14, Chamath started working at Burger King to help his family. He went to Lisgar Collegiate Institute and then graduated from the University of Waterloo in 1999. He earned a degree in electrical engineering.
Chamath's Career Journey
Starting Out (1999–2007)
After finishing college, Chamath worked as a trader, dealing with financial products. He then joined a company called Winamp in California. When another big company, AOL, bought Winamp, Chamath became one of AOL's youngest vice presidents. He was in charge of their instant messaging team in 2004. He worked briefly at another investment firm before joining Facebook in 2007.
Time at Facebook (2007–2011)
At Facebook, Chamath helped launch an advertising system called Facebook Beacon. This system did not work out well. After that, he focused on helping Facebook grow its number of users. During his four years there, Facebook reached 1 billion users. Before leaving Facebook, Chamath also worked on projects like the Facebook Phone.
Social Capital and Investments (2011–Present)
.jpg)
After leaving Facebook, Chamath started his own company, Social Capital, with his then-wife. At first, the company invested in many new businesses. Some of these successful investments included Yammer, Slack, and Box. By 2015, his company was managing over $1.1 billion in investments.
In 2018, Social Capital changed how it worked. It became more like a family investment office. Now, Social Capital invests in three main areas:
- Science related to climate change.
- Life sciences and biotechnology (like new medicines).
- New digital technologies such as blockchain and crypto.
Chamath became well-known for using SPACs. These are companies created to buy other private companies and make them public. Some of his notable SPAC deals included taking Virgin Galactic public in 2019, and SoFi public in 2021. Some of these investments faced challenges, with their stock prices going down.
Political Views and Actions
Supporting Political Parties
For many years, Chamath gave money to the Democratic Party. However, by the early 2020s, his support shifted more towards the Republican Party. In 2023, he helped host a fundraiser for a presidential candidate. In 2024, he co-hosted a large fundraiser for Donald Trump in San Francisco.
Working for Immigration Reform
Chamath was one of the "Founders" of a group called FWD.us. This group started in 2013. Its main goals are to improve immigration laws, make education better, and support new technology in the United States. Chamath believed this was a good way to help society.
Views on San Francisco Issues
Chamath has spoken about problems in San Francisco, especially about people not having enough affordable housing. He suggested that the city could help low-income residents by taxing new startup companies. He believes his own experiences growing up in Canada with immigrant parents shaped his views on fairness and helping people succeed.
Thoughts on Social Media
In 2017, Chamath talked about how social media affects society. He said that while social platforms can be good, they are designed to create "dopamine-driven feedback loops." This means they can make people want to keep checking their phones, which might harm how people talk to each other. Because of this, he limits his own children's screen time and social media use. He wants them to focus on real-life interactions.
California Governor Campaign
In January 2021, Chamath announced he might run for Governor of California if the current governor was removed from office. He said he would cut state income tax, offer free education vouchers, and give money for every child born in California. However, in February 2021, he decided not to run for governor.
Comments on Human Rights
In January 2022, Chamath made comments on his podcast about the treatment of Uyghurs in China. He said that he and most Americans cared more about economic issues in the U.S. than about human rights issues in other countries. The Golden State Warriors, where he was a part-owner, quickly released a statement saying his views did not represent their organization. Chamath later apologized for his comments, saying he recognized he sounded "lacking empathy" and that human rights matter everywhere.
Investments and Giving Back
In 2010, Chamath bought a 10% share in the Golden State Warriors basketball team. He sold his share in the team in June 2023. He has also given a lot of money to his old university, the University of Waterloo. In 2018, he donated $25 million to their engineering department. In 2021, he promised to donate $7 million to help provide clean drinking water to families in California using special technology.
Personal Life
After college, Chamath moved to California. He had three children with his first wife, Brigette Lau, before they divorced in 2018.
In 2023, Chamath married Nathalie Dompé, who is an Italian business executive. They have two children together.
See also
In Spanish: Chamath Palihapitiya para niños
- List of University of Waterloo people
