Keith Rabois facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Keith Rabois
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Rabois in 2011
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| Born | March 17, 1969 Edison, New Jersey, U.S.
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| Education | Stanford University (BA) Harvard University (JD) |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur, Investor, Lawyer |
| Known for | PayPal, LinkedIn, Square, Opendoor, Yelp, Xoom, YouTube, Yammer, Palantir, Lyft, AirBnB, Eventbrite and Quora. |
| Spouse(s) | Jacob Helberg |
Keith Rabois (born March 17, 1969) is an American business leader and investor in technology. He helps manage a company called Khosla Ventures. He was one of the first people to invest in and work for big companies like PayPal, LinkedIn, and Square. He also invested in Yelp and Xoom Corporation before they became public companies.
Rabois is part of a group often called the PayPal Mafia. This group includes many early PayPal employees who went on to create or invest in other very successful tech companies. He has invested in many popular companies like YouTube, Palantir Technologies, Lyft, Airbnb, and Eventbrite.
Early Life and Education
Keith Rabois was born on March 17, 1969. He grew up in Edison, New Jersey. He studied political science at Stanford University and earned his degree in 1991.
Later, he went to Harvard Law School and finished in 1994. While at Stanford, he met Peter Thiel, who was involved with a student newspaper.
Career in Technology and Investing
Early Career Steps
After law school, Rabois worked for a judge for a year. He also worked at a law firm for almost four years. In 1999, he was an adviser for a political campaign.
Working at Tech Companies
PayPal's Growth
From 2000 to 2002, Rabois was an Executive Vice President at PayPal. He helped the company with business deals and public relations.
LinkedIn's Development
Between 2005 and 2007, Rabois worked at LinkedIn. He was the vice president for business and company growth. LinkedIn was started by Reid Hoffman, who also used to work at PayPal.
Square's Start
In 2010, Rabois joined Square. This company helps people and businesses accept electronic payments. He became the Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Square.
Investing in Companies
Khosla Ventures Role
In March 2013, Rabois joined Khosla Ventures, a company that invests in new businesses. He left in 2019 but returned in January 2024. Now, he is one of five managing directors there.
Founders Fund Work
In 2019, Rabois joined another investment firm called Founders Fund. While there, he helped start a company called OpenStore in Miami in 2021. OpenStore buys and manages online retail brands.
Rabois left Founders Fund in 2024 to go back to Khosla Ventures. However, he still helps represent Founders Fund on the boards of companies like Ramp and Trade Republic.
Other Business Ventures
Opendoor's Creation
In April 2014, Rabois helped start Opendoor. This company makes it easier for people to buy and sell homes online.
Alliance of American Football
In 2018, Rabois invested in the Alliance of American Football, a sports league. He also served on the league's board of directors.
Political Views
In 2013, Keith Rabois was a major supporter of a group called FWD.us. This group works to influence government policy, especially on technology and immigration.
In 2020, Rabois said he would prefer to vote for Donald Trump over Bernie Sanders. In 2019, he also mentioned that Pete Buttigieg was his top choice among Democratic candidates.
In 2023, Rabois spoke positively about a law in Florida. In September 2024, he and his husband, Jacob Helberg, hosted a fundraiser for Donald Trump's presidential campaign.
Personal Life
In November 2015, Rabois bought a house in San Francisco. In 2018, he married Jacob Helberg in a ceremony in Saint Barthélemy. The ceremony was led by Sam Altman.
In November 2020, it was reported that Keith Rabois and Jacob Helberg moved from California to Miami, Florida.
