Martin Lorentzon
Born 1969 · Age 56
Swedish entrepreneur, co-founder of Tradedoubler and Spotify; former CEO and chairman at Spotify; active civic participant and advisor on integration and entrepreneurship.
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Life & Career Timeline
Birth in Åsenhöga, Småland, Sweden
Sven Hans Martin Lorentzon was born in Åsenhöga in the Gnosjö region of Småland province.
Family moved to Borås
Lorentzon's family relocated to Borås; he grew up in the Hestra quarter.
Primary school ambition (anecdote)
As a pupil at Särlaskolan primary school in Borås he told classmates he wanted to sell one matchbox to every Chinese person and become a billionaire.
Attended Sven Eriksonsgymnasiet (technical dept.)
Lorentzon attended the technical department of Sven Eriksonsgymnasiet for high school.
Began studies at Chalmers University of Technology
Started studying industrial economics at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg; later completed an MSc in engineering.
Internship at Telia and moved to San Francisco
Started an internship at the Swedish incumbent Telia; moved to San Francisco and worked in the AltaVista office.
Worked at Cell Ventures; met Felix Hagnö
Worked at investment company Cell Ventures in Silicon Valley and met Felix Hagnö (future Tradedoubler co-founder).
Founded Netstrategy (later Tradedoubler)
Co-founded Netstrategy with Felix Hagnö in September 1999; the firm later became Tradedoubler, a leading European affiliate marketplace.
Tradedoubler won Guldmusen – IT-rookie of the Year
Tradedoubler received the Swedish Guldmusen prize recognizing the company as 'IT-rookie of the Year'.
Tradedoubler won UK Achievement Award
Awarded the Swedish Trade Council in the United Kingdom's 'Achievement Award' for Swedish companies most successful in the UK in the prior year.
Tradedoubler won Export Hermes prize
Tradedoubler received the Swedish 'Export Hermes' prize for best Swedish exporting company.
Moved to Germany (during Tradedoubler growth)
Lorentzon moved to Germany as Tradedoubler expanded its web sales and European footprint.
Sold Tradedoubler option
Sold his Tradedoubler option for approximately US$70 million after the company's strong performance.
Moved back to Sweden; established residence in Vasastan
After roughly a decade abroad, Lorentzon moved back to Sweden and lived in the Vasastan district of Stockholm from 2005 onwards.
Acquired apartment in Åre (personal property)
He owns an apartment in the ski resort community of Åre (personal residence/asset).
Tradedoubler IPO on Stockholm exchange
Tradedoubler held an IPO on the Stockholm Stock Exchange; reported IPO size ~SEK 1.3 billion.
Felix Hagnö joined Spotify (former Tradedoubler colleague)
Felix Hagnö (co-founder of Netstrategy/Tradedoubler) joined Lorentzon's new venture and later owned a material stake.
Paid €1.4 million in taxes (2006)
Reportedly paid €1.4 million in taxes in 2006 (publicized tax-related fact).
Funded Spotify's early operations from personal capital
Lorentzon spent his own money on developers' salaries, offices, and music licenses in Spotify's critical early period.
Appointed CEO of Spotify (start)
Lorentzon became Spotify's chief executive officer and led the company in its early years (served 2006–2013).
Tradedoubler acquired Advertigo (Daniel Ek's company)
Tradedoubler bought Advertigo in March 2006; the acquisition brought Lorentzon and Daniel Ek into close contact.
Decided to start a new company with Daniel Ek; left Tradedoubler board
Lorentzon left Tradedoubler's board and, together with Daniel Ek, decided to found a new music-streaming company.
Seed funding to Daniel Ek (personal investment)
Lorentzon provided Daniel Ek with €1,000,000 in seed funding to pursue the new music-streaming venture.
Spotify registered/founded
Spotify was officially registered in June 2006 as a music streaming service aiming to monetize via online advertising and later subscriptions.
Became chairman of Spotify's board
Lorentzon served as chairman of Spotify's board of directors beginning in 2008 (served until 2016).
Stepped down as Spotify CEO
Lorentzon ended his tenure as Spotify chief executive officer in 2013 (remained on the board).
Media reports on tax arrangements / scrutiny
Press coverage in 2013 highlighted Lorentzon's tax arrangements and raised scrutiny about his tax residency and practices.
Joined Prince Daniel's Fellowship Project
Became involved in Prince Daniel's Fellowship Project, visiting secondary schools and universities to promote entrepreneurship.
Appointed to Telia Company's board of directors
Became a member of Telia Company's board (served April 2013 – March 2018). Reportedly owned 230,000 Telia shares at the time.
Named International Swede of the Year (with Daniel Ek)
Awarded International Swede of the Year for 2014 along with Daniel Ek.
Awarded Affärsbragden (Business Achievement)
Received 'Affärsbragden' (The Business Achievement) from Svenska Dagbladet in 2015.
Honorary doctorate at Chalmers University of Technology
Presented with an honorary doctorate by his alma mater, Chalmers University of Technology, in the spring of 2015.
Elected to the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences
Elected as a member under the Department of Education and Research, promoting exchange between business, research and government.
Open letter to Swedish government (housing, taxes, permitting)
Lorentzon and Daniel Ek publicly urged legal changes re housing, taxes and education; warned Spotify might relocate if changes not made.
Stepped down as Spotify chairman (Ek took over)
Lorentzon served as Spotify chairman until 2016, after which Daniel Ek took over chairman responsibilities.
Reported ownership / voting stakes disclosed
Public filings and reporting around 2018–2019 detailed Lorentzon's ownership (e.g., ~12–12.7% shares) and disproportionate voting power (reported 43+%).
Spotify filed for IPO / SEC filing public
Spotify filed publicly ahead of its direct listing / IPO; filings confirmed founders' large stakes and billionaire status in press coverage.
Left Telia Company's board
Ended his term on the board of Telia Company in March 2018 (board membership ran April 2013 – March 2018).
Spotify first trading day - founders' stakes monetized
After Spotify began trading (direct listing/IPO date 3 April 2018), Lorentzon's stake was estimated by press (Forbes) to be worth approx. $3.26 billion (first-day valuation).
Netflix to develop limited series inspired by Spotify
Press reported (Nov–Dec 2019) that Netflix would develop a limited series about the birth of Spotify (cultural milestone that features Lorentzon's story).
13G filing / reported holdings (public disclosure)
Public filings around 2019 (13G) documented Lorentzon's reported holdings in Spotify and other public disclosures of ownership.
Appointed expert on immigrants' integration (Moderate Party commission)
Tasked as an expert on immigrants' integration issues for the Moderate Party commission 'New Swedish Model' initiated by Ulf Kristersson.
Awarded H.M. The King's Medal
Received H. M. The King's Medal (12th size gold, silver-gilt) in recognition of contributions.
Awarded Gustaf Dalén Medal
Received the Gustaf Dalén Medal (Chalmers-related accolade) in 2021.
Spotify corporate milestones (2023 revenue & users)
By 2023 Spotify reported ~€13.25B revenue and surpassed ~600 million users (company milestone strongly affecting founder wealth).
Net worth estimates updated by secondary sources
Secondary business outlets (aggregate reporting) estimated Lorentzon's net worth in the multi-billion range (estimates vary, e.g., ~USD 4–6+ billion by various outlets).
Key Achievement Ages
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