Vladimir Tenev
Born 1987 · Age 38
Bulgarian‑American entrepreneur; co‑founder and CEO of Robinhood; co‑founder and executive chairman of AI startup Harmonic.
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Life & Career Timeline
Family emigrated to the United States
His parents migrated to the U.S. when Vlad was five years old; both parents later worked for the World Bank.
High school completion (approx.) — Thomas Jefferson HS
Attended Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Fairfax County, Virginia (typical graduation year estimated).
Met future co‑founder Baiju Bhatt at Stanford (est.)
Met Baiju Bhatt while both were students at Stanford University (approximate year during undergraduate studies).
Earned mathematics degree at Stanford University (est.)
Completed a bachelor’s degree in mathematics at Stanford University, where he met Baiju Bhatt (graduation year estimated based on typical timeline).
Co‑founded Celeris (high‑frequency trading software)
Tenev and Baiju Bhatt started Celeris, a high‑frequency trading (HFT) software company in New York.
Enrolled in UCLA mathematics PhD program (studied; later dropped out)
Began graduate studies in mathematics at UCLA; later left to pursue entrepreneurial ventures with Bhatt.
Left UCLA PhD to work on trading startups
Dropped out of PhD program to focus full time on trading/software ventures with Bhatt.
Founded Chronos Research (low‑latency trading software)
Abandoned Celeris and created Chronos Research in January 2011 to sell low‑latency software to trading firms and banks.
Co‑founded Robinhood (reported Aug 2012)
Clay dossier reports Vlad Tenev co‑founded Robinhood in August 2012 with Baiju Bhatt (company formation timeframe has multiple reports).
Co‑founded Robinhood (commonly cited year 2013)
Multiple sources, including Wikipedia, cite 2013 as the year Tenev and Bhatt co‑founded the trading platform Robinhood.
Early Robinhood product/waitlist publicity (HuffPost/early press)
Multiple early media pieces in 2013 chronicled Robinhood's initial product concept and user signups as it built its waitlist and product.
Robinhood early business model publicized (commission‑free trading)
Robinhood's mission to democratize finance via commission‑free trades became widely reported from 2013 onward.
Early media coverage for Robinhood
Press pieces began appearing about Robinhood in 2013 as the company built its waitlist and platform.
Answered technical questions on Quora (public post)
Contributed public answers on Quora about HFT and technology (one published Jan 7, 2014 referenced by media).
Robinhood mobile app launched to the public
Robinhood launched its consumer mobile trading app to the public in 2015, expanding access to commission‑free trading.
Reported one‑million person waitlist for Robinhood
Media coverage (HuffPost) reported ~1,000,000‑person waitlist as Robinhood scaled prior to broad launch.
Named to Forbes 30 Under 30 (Finance / Young Traders)
Vlad Tenev (and Robinhood) were recognized in Forbes' 30 Under 30 in 2016.
Public Quora contribution (publication)
Another public Quora answer (Dec 21, 2017) where Tenev shared views on product/brand building and technical topics.
Public recognition: 'Meet the new tech billionaires' coverage
Multiple outlets (Bloomberg, CNN, Forbes) covered Robinhood's rapid ascent and the founders' emergence as wealthy tech entrepreneurs after 2018 funding.
Robinhood to offer Bitcoin and Ethereum trading (launch Feb 2018)
Robinhood announced it would begin offering Bitcoin and Ethereum trading in February 2018, expanding into crypto.
Funding round valuing Robinhood at $6 billion
A funding round announced in May 2018 increased Robinhood's valuation to $6 billion; media reported Tenev and Bhatt became billionaires after the round.
Bloomberg coverage: founders became billionaires
Bloomberg reported (May 11, 2018) that Robinhood founders had become billionaires amid the financing and valuation increase.
Keynote speaker — UCLA Math Commencement
Invited as keynote speaker at UCLA's 2019 Math Commencement Ceremony.
Became sole CEO of Robinhood
In November 2020 Tenev became the sole CEO of Robinhood after previously sharing co‑CEO duties with Baiju Bhatt.
S‑1 filing and increased regulatory/public scrutiny
Robinhood's S‑1 and IPO process in 2021 exposed financials, risks, and regulatory scrutiny tied to trading halts and business model.
Reported ownership stake ~8% (MarketsWiki)
MarketsWiki reported that Tenev owned about 8% of Robinhood (used to estimate stake value at IPO).
Restricted buying during GameStop short squeeze
On Jan 28, 2021 Robinhood halted purchases of GameStop and other securities; Tenev defended the decision publicly amid major criticism.
Testified before U.S. House Committee on Financial Services
Tenev testified on Feb 18, 2021 about Robinhood's role in the GameStop episode; faced criticism and explained clearinghouse deposit pressures.
Announced plans to expand Robinhood crypto operations
Reported March 19, 2021: CEO Tenev said Robinhood planned to expand crypto offerings, wallets, and deposit/withdrawal features.
Reported: U.S. Attorney executed search warrant for Tenev's phone
Robinhood's Form S‑1 and subsequent reporting disclosed that the U.S. Attorney's Office executed a search warrant for Tenev's cell phone in a GameStop probe.
Robinhood IPO — valuation ~$32 billion
Robinhood went public via an IPO in July 2021 with an approximate $32 billion valuation (reported after IPO share sale at $38).
Inducted into Forbes 30 Under 30 Hall of Fame
Forbes inducted Vlad Tenev into its 30 Under 30 Hall of Fame in 2022.
Robinhood laid off ~9% of full‑time employees (~340)
In mid‑April 2022 Robinhood announced about 9% staff reductions affecting roughly 340 employees amid declining users/revenue.
Robinhood later announced larger layoffs (reported quarter of staff)
Later April 2022 reporting referenced a larger round of layoffs (reports vary; some say up to a quarter of staff) as growth slowed.
Portrayed in film 'Dumb Money'
Vlad Tenev is portrayed by Sebastian Stan in the 2023 film Dumb Money about the GameStop short squeeze.
Co‑founded Harmonic (AI startup) — executive chairman
Co‑founded Palo Alto‑based AI startup Harmonic in 2023; serves as executive chairman. Company aims to reduce AI hallucinations via generated + checked Lean code.
Public reporting on Tenev backing Harmonic (Axios)
June 10, 2024 reporting (Axios) covered Tenev backing a startup to boost AI's math skills (Harmonic focus).
Report: Sequoia discussed funding Harmonic
August 8, 2024 reporting in The Information noted Sequoia Capital discussed funding the AI reasoning startup co‑founded by Tenev.
Forbes profile: net worth reported at ~$6 billion (Oct 2024)
Forbes reporting (Oct 4, 2024) states Tenev's fortune increased ~sixfold to about $6 billion, driven in part by Robinhood's crypto push and other ventures.
Continued public profile and media coverage
Ongoing coverage in major outlets (Forbes, CNBC, Bloomberg) of Tenev as Robinhood and Harmonic evolve; continued mentions of expansion plans and net worth.
Key Achievement Ages
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