Chad Hurley Net Worth

Chad Hurley is an American tech entrepreneur with an estimated net worth of $700 million. He amassed his wealth primarily as a co-founder and former CEO of YouTube, the groundbreaking video-sharing platform that revolutionized online content. Google acquired YouTube in 2006 for $1.65 billion, solidifying Hurley’s status as a major figure in the tech world.

Early Life

Chad Meredith Hurley was born on January 24, 1977, in Reading, Pennsylvania. From a young age, he displayed a keen interest in computers and electronic media. During his high school years, he was also an accomplished athlete, winning two state titles as a runner and participating in the Technology Student Association. After high school, Hurley attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated in 1999 with a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art.

Career Beginnings at PayPal

After college, Hurley joined PayPal, the online payment company that was still in its startup phase. At PayPal, Hurley made his mark by designing the company’s logo, a brand icon that became widely recognized. It was at PayPal that Hurley met his future YouTube co-founders, Steve Chen and Jawad Karim.

Founding YouTube

Following PayPal’s acquisition by eBay in 2002 for $1.5 billion, Hurley, Chen, and Karim left the company in early 2005. The trio began brainstorming ideas for their next venture, ultimately settling on a video-sharing platform where users could upload and share videos. This idea materialized as YouTube, which officially launched in February 2005.

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YouTube quickly gained popularity, thanks in part to the viral spread of videos through social media platforms like MySpace. A major turning point for YouTube came in December 2005 when a “Saturday Night Live” sketch titled “Lazy Sunday” went viral, drawing millions of viewers to the site.

Google Acquisition and Beyond

On October 9, 2006, Google announced its acquisition of YouTube for $1.65 billion in stock. As the CEO and co-founder, Hurley received 694,087 Google shares, which were worth $345 million at the time of the deal. By 2021, if Hurley had retained all his shares, they would have been worth nearly $2 billion before taxes.

Hurley continued to serve as YouTube’s CEO until October 2010, after which he shifted his focus to other ventures.

MixBit and Other Ventures

In August 2013, Hurley and Chen launched MixBit, a video editing platform that allowed users to create and share videos using their smartphones. While the app was innovative, it struggled to compete with emerging social media platforms and was eventually acquired by BlueJeans in August 2018.

Legal Issues with Kanye West and Kim Kardashian

Hurley found himself in legal trouble in 2013 when he recorded and uploaded a video of Kanye West’s marriage proposal to Kim Kardashian at AT&T Park in San Francisco. Despite not being invited and the event’s confidentiality agreement, Hurley uploaded the video to MixBit, where it garnered over 1.64 million views. West and Kardashian sued Hurley, and the lawsuit was eventually settled for $440,000.

Personal Life

Hurley has diversified his wealth through various investments. He was a principal investor in the now-defunct US F1 Team and holds minority ownership stakes in the NBA’s Golden State Warriors and MLS’s Los Angeles Football Club.

In his personal life, Hurley married Kathy Clark in 2000, the daughter of billionaire tech investor Jim Clark. The couple divorced in 2014. Hurley’s former father-in-law, Jim Clark, is known for his involvement in companies like Silicon Graphics, WebMD, and Netscape.

Real Estate

Chad Hurley has invested in several high-profile real estate properties. In 2013, he and Kathy purchased a 10-acre property in Woodside, California, which they sold in January 2019 for $14.25 million. The same year, they bought an 8,600-square-foot mansion in Atherton, California, for $9 million. Today, this property is valued between $15-20 million.

Chad Hurley Net Worth

Chad Hurley net worth is $700 million.