Drew Houston
Drew Houston | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 4, 1983 Acton, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, CEO |
| Years active | 2007–present |
| Known for | Co-founder and CEO of Dropbox |
Andrew W. Houston (; born March 4, 1983) is a prominent American entrepreneur in the technology sector, recognized primarily as the co-founder and current CEO of Dropbox, a leading platform for online storage and backup solutions. Forbes estimates his net worth to be around $2.2 billion. Before Dropbox's initial public offering in February 2018, Houston controlled 24.4% of the company's voting shares.
Early life
Houston was born in Acton, Massachusetts in 1983 and completed his secondary education at Acton-Boxborough Regional High School. He pursued a degree in computer science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he joined the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. It was at MIT that he met Arash Ferdowsi, who would later become Dropbox’s co-founder and chief technology officer. During his university years, Houston also launched a business specializing in SAT preparation.
Career
In 2007, Houston and Ferdowsi established Dropbox. Houston continues to serve as CEO and holds approximately 25% ownership in the company.
In February 2020, Houston became a member of the board of directors at Facebook, taking over the position from former Netflix CEO Reed Hastings.
Reputation
Business Week recognized Houston in 2008 as one of the most promising individuals under 30 years old. Dropbox has been acknowledged as Y Combinator’s most successful investment to date. Additionally, Inc. included Houston among its top 30 entrepreneurs under 30, while Dropbox was ranked among Silicon Valley’s top 20 startups. In 2013, MIT honored Houston by inviting him to deliver the commencement speech.
Personal life
Houston currently lives in Austin, Texas. In April 2013, he co-established FWD.us, a lobbying organization dedicated to advancing immigration reform and enhancing education policies. He publicly supported Hillary Clinton during the 2016 U.S. presidential election.