Chamath Palihapitiya
Born 1976 · Age 49
Sri Lankan-born Canadian‑American entrepreneur and venture capitalist; founder & CEO of Social Capital, early Facebook executive (2007–2011), SPAC sponsor, former minority owner of the Golden State Warriors, and co‑host of the All‑In podcast.
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Life & Career Timeline
Family moved to Canada (Ottawa)
Moved to Canada at age five when his father was posted to the Sri Lankan High Commission in Ottawa.
Family sought asylum in Canada
When his father's diplomatic posting ended the family sought and obtained asylum in Canada amid political issues in Sri Lanka.
Began working at Burger King
At age 14 Palihapitiya began working at Burger King to help support his family.
Attended Lisgar Collegiate Institute (high school)
Attended Lisgar Collegiate Institute in Ottawa (estimated high‑school period; exact graduation year not specified in sources).
Joined BMO Nesbitt Burns as derivatives trader
First job after graduation: derivatives trader at BMO Nesbitt Burns.
Graduated University of Waterloo (BASc, Electrical Eng.)
Completed a Bachelor of Applied Science (electrical engineering) at the University of Waterloo.
Joined Winamp (Nullsoft) in California
Moved to California to work at Winamp/Nullsoft (date approximate based on career sequence).
Became AOL's youngest VP, headed instant messaging
After AOL acquired Winamp/Nullsoft, Palihapitiya became AOL's youngest vice‑president and headed its instant messaging division (circa 2004).
Principal at Mayfield Fund (briefly)
Entered venture capital as a principal at the Mayfield Fund (tenure described as brief prior to joining Facebook).
Led release of Facebook Beacon (advertising product)
Led the release of Facebook Beacon, an advertising/affiliate system that failed and became subject to lawsuits and heavy criticism.
Joined Facebook as senior executive
Joined Facebook (later Meta) in an early senior executive role; led user growth organization among other responsibilities.
Focused on Facebook user growth
Led Facebook efforts focused on new user growth; credited as part of the team that drove Facebook's expansion.
Acquired ~10% stake in Golden State Warriors
Became a minority owner (~10%) of the NBA franchise the Golden State Warriors (reported acquisition 2010).
Led Facebook Phone and Facebook Home projects
Prior to departure he led initiatives including the Facebook Phone and Facebook Home projects (projects later publicly associated with Facebook mobile initiatives).
Left Facebook
Departed Facebook in 2011 after roughly four years with the company.
Founded Social+Capital Partnership (Social Capital)
Founded the venture firm Social+Capital Partnership (later Social Capital) with his then‑wife Brigette Lau; operated as a multi‑LP VC initially.
Led $17M funding round into Yammer
Social+Capital led or participated in a $17 million round for Yammer (Yammer later acquired by Microsoft).
SecondMarket $15M round (Social Capital investment)
SecondMarket raised $15M at about a $200M valuation; Social Capital was an investor (reported November 2011).
Social Capital raises $275M+ fund
Palihapitiya confirmed Social+Capital Partnership raised a new fund of roughly $275M+ (TechCrunch report, March 2013).
Named a founder of FWD.us (launch)
Listed among the founders of FWD.us, a tech industry lobbying group launched to advocate immigration reform and other policies (launch April 11, 2013).
Debate at Bloomberg 'Next Big Thing' on SF housing
Publicly debated Ron Conway at Bloomberg's Next Big Thing conference about San Francisco inequality and proposed startup equity taxes to fund subsidized housing.
Social Capital managed over $1.1B in assets
By 2015 Social Capital reportedly managed more than $1.1 billion in assets under management (AUM).
Public statements criticizing social media harms
Spoke publicly about social media's negative societal consequences (Dec 2017), noting 'dopamine‑driven feedback loops' and limiting his children's screen time.
Divorced from Brigette Lau
Divorced his then‑wife Brigette Lau; the pair had three children together prior to divorce (reported 2018).
Announced major changes at Social Capital (permanent capital / family office)
Publicly described a transformation of Social Capital from a multi‑LP venture fund to a family‑office / permanent capital model (Palihapitiya's 'What went wrong at Social Capital' commentary published Sept 7, 2018).
Donated $25M to University of Waterloo engineering
Pledged/donated $25 million to the University of Waterloo's engineering department.
Took Virgin Galactic public via SPAC (Social Capital Hedosophia)
Sponsored a SPAC deal that resulted in Virgin Galactic going public in 2019 (Social Capital Hedosophia deal).
Reported large gains from Slack & Virgin Galactic (reported)
Reports noted big returns related to Slack and Virgin Galactic deals around this period (reports vary on aggregated figures).
Sponsored multiple SPACs; de‑SPACs include Opendoor and others
Palihapitiya became a prominent SPAC sponsor: took companies including Opendoor public (2020) and sponsored other blank‑check deals (multiple SPACs raised through 2020).
Opendoor de‑SPAC: merger raised >$1B; Palihapitiya invested $100M
Opendoor's merger raised over $1 billion (approx. $400M from SPAC, $600M PIPE); Palihapitiya reportedly invested ~$100M personally.
Clover Health SPAC deal announced (valued ~$3.7B)
Sponsored the SPAC that merged with Clover Health; deal headline valuation reported at about $3.7 billion (announced Oct 2020).
Acquired Bombardier Global 7500 jet
Purchased a Bombardier Global 7500 private jet for approximately $75 million (reported 2020).
Acquired Hustle (texting app) — Social Capital activity
Social Capital acquired the texting app Hustle in 2020 (later reporting Chamath took leadership roles related to some portfolio companies).
Became co‑host of the All‑In podcast
Serves as a co‑host of the business/tech podcast All‑In (co‑hosts include David Sacks, Jason Calacanis, David Friedberg). Podcast activity rose notably around 2020–2021.
Named on lists and covered as a leading VC / SPAC figure
Widely profiled in major publications (New Yorker, NYT, Bloomberg) as an influential VC, SPAC sponsor and controversial public figure through 2019–2022 coverage.
Social Capital filed multiple biotech SPACs (DNAA–DNAD)
Filed and sponsored multiple new SPACs in 2021 focusing on biotechnology companies (ticker series DNAA through DNAD reported).
Clover Health short‑seller report and ensuing scrutiny
Hindenburg Research published a critical report on Clover Health in early 2021; the episode led to investor lawsuits, negative press, and regulatory scrutiny (SEC attention reported).
Sold large part of Virgin Galactic stake (~$200M reported)
Reported sale of a large portion of his Virgin Galactic stake in March 2021 for about $200 million (used proceeds to back climate investments per reports).
SoFi to go public through merger with Palihapitiya‑backed SPAC
SoFi announced plans to go public through merger with a Palihapitiya‑backed SPAC (deal reported Jan 2021).
Faced lawsuits and regulatory scrutiny related to SPAC deals
Investors sued in relation to several SPAC deals (Clover, others) and lawmakers and regulators expressed concern about SPAC incentives and disclosures in 2021–2022.
Pledged $7M to provide clean drinking water in California's Central Valley
Pledged $7 million to provide clean drinking water to 1,000 families in California's Central Valley via hydropanel technology (reported 2021).
Announced intention to run in California gubernatorial recall
Publicly announced he would challenge Governor Gavin Newsom if Newsom were recalled (Jan 25, 2021); outlined policy positions and launched a supporter‑created campaign site.
Withdrew from California gubernatorial candidacy consideration
Declined to run for governor and withdrew from consideration in February 2021.
Investment in Spectral Finance reported
Reports indicated investments by Palihapitiya/Social Capital in FinTech firm Spectral Finance (Nov 9, 2021 coverage).
Social Capital leads $20M funding round for a battery startup
Reported that Social Capital led a $20 million funding round for a battery technology startup (Bloomberg, Nov 15, 2021).
Public controversy: comments about Uyghurs and subsequent apology
On the All‑In podcast in January 2022 said 'Nobody cares about what's happening to the Uyghurs...' — generated wide backlash; Golden State Warriors clarified his views didn't reflect the franchise; he later apologized.
SPAC portfolio share prices fell sharply (market downturn)
Market performance declined for many Palihapitiya‑sponsored SPACs: average share declines ~50% in 2021 and some down nearly 90% by 2022; investor lawsuits followed.
SPAC holdings severely devalued; reputation scrutiny
By 2022 many of Palihapitiya's SPAC holdings had declined sharply (some down near 90%) and he received sustained criticism of SPAC promotion practices.
Reported role changes and portfolio management at Social Capital
Continued to manage Social Capital from a permanent capital balance sheet focused on climate, life sciences and digital‑asset decentralization; ongoing portfolio activity reported in 2023.
Reported net worth estimates in public coverage (~$1.2B in some sources)
Various outlets and profiles reported differing net‑worth estimates; some sources cited figures around $1.0–$1.5 billion in 2021–2023 timeframe.
Married Nathalie Dompé
Married Italian business executive Nathalie Dompé in 2023; they have two children together (marriage widely reported in 2023).
Hosted $50,000/plate Vivek Ramaswamy fundraiser
Hosted a high‑priced fundraiser for presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy (reports in 2023 indicated $50,000/plate events).
Sold stake in Golden State Warriors
Sold his previously held minority stake in the Golden State Warriors in June 2023 (sale price for his stake not specified in the sources provided).
Co‑hosted $12M Trump fundraiser in San Francisco
Co‑hosted a fundraiser in San Francisco on June 6, 2024 that raised approximately $12 million for Donald Trump's campaign (co‑hosted with David O. Sacks and Jacqueline Sacks).
Key Achievement Ages
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