Jon Oringer
Born 1974 · Age 51
American programmer, photographer, founder and long-time CEO (now executive chairman) of stock-media company Shutterstock; early internet entrepreneur credited with creating one of the web's first pop‑up blockers and founding multiple subscription-software startups.
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Life & Career Timeline
Entered Scarsdale High School
Began attending Scarsdale High School (attended 1988–1992).
Taught guitar lessons
At 15 he taught guitar lessons — an early income-generating activity preceding his tech work.
Graduated Scarsdale High School
Completed secondary education at Scarsdale High School.
Started at Stony Brook University
Began undergraduate studies at Stony Brook University; also began selling his own software online.
Created and sold pop-up blocker
While a college student he created what Forbes later called one of the web's first pop‑up blockers and sold thousands of copies online.
Started Columbia University graduate studies
Enrolled at Columbia University for graduate computer science studies (studied 1996–1998).
Founded multiple subscription-based software startups (beginning)
While at Columbia he built products to complement the pop-up blocker and used subscription sales for personal firewalls, accounting tools, cookie blockers, trademark managers, etc.; he estimates founding about ten small startups (late 1990s–early 2000s).
B.S. in Computer Science & Mathematics (Stony Brook)
Graduated from Stony Brook University with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Mathematics.
M.S. in Computer Science (Columbia)
Received a Master of Science in Computer Science from Columbia University (studies 1996–1998).
Purchased Canon Rebel and began taking photos
Bought a Canon Rebel camera to shoot images for a planned stock-photo marketplace (the genesis of Shutterstock).
Shot ~100,000 photos over six months
Took roughly 100,000 of his own images over about six months to seed the microstock library.
Founded Shutterstock and launched microstock site
Launched Shutterstock, posting a culled collection initially of ~30,000 images and offering microstock photos via a subscription model.
Set subscription pricing and business model
Launched Shutterstock's unlimited-download subscription model with a monthly starting fee reported at US$49.
Opened first office (600 sq ft) and self‑funded the company
Funded Shutterstock entirely with his savings and rented a 600-square-foot New York office, initially performing all roles himself.
Scaled contributor network and staff
When demand outpaced his personal photo supply he became an agent, hired additional contributors, a photo director and a team of reviewers to enforce quality and editorial consistency.
Ranked #41 on Silicon Alley 100
Selected 41st on the Silicon Alley 100 list of influential Manhattan technologists and entrepreneurs.
Became a certified commercial helicopter pilot (circa)
Around 2012 Oringer became a certified commercial helicopter pilot (personal milestone).
Owned ~55% of Shutterstock (via Pixel Holdings)
After the IPO Oringer continued to own about 55% of Shutterstock, largely through his investment company Pixel Holdings.
Filed S-1 for Shutterstock IPO
Filed for an initial public offering for Shutterstock on the New York Stock Exchange (Form S-1 filed May 2012).
Named Ernst & Young New York Technology Entrepreneur of the Year
Recognized by Ernst & Young as New York's Technology Entrepreneur of the Year (June 2012).
Shutterstock completed IPO on NYSE
Shutterstock began trading publicly on the New York Stock Exchange (IPO completed October 17, 2012).
Named to Crain's New York 40 Under 40 (Class of 2013)
Recognized as one of Crain's New York '40 Under 40' in 2013.
Recognized as Silicon Alley's first tech billionaire
Analyst Andre Sequin and other outlets reported Oringer as New York's first tech billionaire after Shutterstock's stock rise; net worth estimated at US$1.05B.
Business Insider: 'Coolest person in New York tech'
Business Insider named Oringer the coolest person in New York technology (2013 feature).
Relocated Shutterstock HQ to the Empire State Building
Moved Shutterstock's New York headquarters into the Empire State Building (March 2014).
Spoke at Columbia SEAS Class Day
Delivered remarks at the 2014 Class Day ceremony for Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Science.
Acquired Rex Features and PremiumBeat
Oversaw Shutterstock's acquisition of Rex Features (Europe's largest independent photo press agency) and PremiumBeat (stock music and SFX service).
Active customer base reported
Company reported ~1.4 million active customers in 150 countries (context: March 2016 reporting).
Shutterstock reaches major contributor/customer milestones
Shutterstock reported over 100,000 contributors and an active customer base of approximately 1.4 million in 150 countries (March 2016).
Spoke/participated at Forbes Under 30 Summit (speaker/leader)
Listed among speakers/leaders at Forbes Under 30 Summit (Forbes mentions Oringer joined other tech founders in 2019 programming).
Defended censorship tool for China amid employee petition
Responded publicly to an internal employee petition opposing a Shutterstock tool that censors search results in China, defending the company's decision.
Announced stepping down as Shutterstock CEO
Announced he would step down as CEO effective April 2020 and transition to executive chairman (announcement Feb 2020; effective April 2020).
Transitioned to Executive Chairman of Shutterstock
Took on the role of executive chairman while relinquishing the CEO role (effective April 2020).
Purchased Miami Beach mansion for $42M
Paid US$42 million for a Miami Beach mansion on North Bay Road (reported October 2020), a record for that road at the time.
Net worth reported around US$1 billion (est.)
Multiple sources and profiles (including later biographical summaries) estimate Oringer's net worth at approximately US$1 billion in the mid‑2020s.
Reported roles on boards (reported)
Profiles indicate Oringer serves on Columbia Engineering Board of Visitors and the Board of the Partnership for New York City (described in recent bios; dates not explicitly provided).
Key Achievement Ages
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