Keith Rabois
Keith Rabois | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 17, 1969 Edison, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Technology executive, investor |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Known for | PayPal, LinkedIn, Slide, Square, Khosla Ventures, Founders Fund, OpenStore, Opendoor |
| Spouse | Jacob Helberg (m. 2018) |
Keith Rabois (born March 17, 1969) is a prominent American technology leader and investor, currently serving as a managing director at Khosla Ventures. He played early roles as both investor and executive at companies such as PayPal, LinkedIn, Slide, and Square. Prior to their initial public offering (IPO), Rabois invested in Yelp and the Xoom Corporation, earning board memberships in both organizations.
As part of the influential PayPal Mafia, Rabois has been instrumental in backing significant tech ventures including YouTube, Palantir Technologies, Lyft, Airbnb, Eventbrite, wish.com, Relcy, and theorg.com.
Early life and education
Born and raised in Edison, New Jersey, Rabois completed his undergraduate studies in political science at Stanford University in 1991, followed by a J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1994. During his time at Stanford, he collaborated with Peter Thiel, then editor and co-founder of The Stanford Review, contributing to the publication himself.
Rabois was among a group of students disciplined for using homophobic language outside a professor’s residence, an incident he framed as a protest against Stanford’s speech policies. Peter Thiel later defended him in his book, The Diversity Myth: Multiculturalism and Political Intolerance on Campus.
Early professional years
After law school, Rabois clerked for a year at the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and subsequently spent nearly four years at the law firm Sullivan & Cromwell. In 1999, he provided counsel to the Dan Quayle presidential bid.
PayPal
From November 2000 through November 2002, Rabois held the position of Executive Vice President overseeing Business Development, Public Affairs, and Policy at PayPal.
Between January 2005 and May 2007, he acted as vice president responsible for Business and Corporate Development at LinkedIn, a company founded by fellow ex-PayPal colleague and PayPal Mafia member Reid Hoffman.
Square
Following several entrepreneurial endeavors, Rabois joined the electronic payments company Square as Chief Operating Officer (COO) in 2010.
Sexual harassment allegation
Rabois departed Square in January 2013 amid allegations of sexual harassment; he asserted that the relationship was consensual. Square commented that "Keith exercised poor judgment that ultimately undermined his ability to remain an effective leader."
Khosla Ventures
Rabois became part of venture capital firm Khosla Ventures in March 2013 before leaving in 2019. After Khosla led a financing round for Scribd, he joined its board as an observer in January 2015. In January 2024, he rejoined Khosla Ventures as one of five managing directors.
Founders Fund
In 2019, Rabois transitioned from Khosla Ventures to become a general partner at Founders Fund. While there in 2021, he co-founded OpenStore, a Miami-based retail holding company focused on acquiring brands within the Shopify ecosystem. OpenStore secured $75 million in funding with a valuation of $750 million.
Although he left Founders Fund in January 2024 to return to Khosla Ventures, Rabois continues to serve on the boards of Ramp, Found, and Trade Republic.
Opendoor
In April 2014, Rabois co-established Opendoor, a platform designed to facilitate the online buying and selling of residential properties, with the goal of simplifying real estate dealings and challenging conventional methods.
Alliance of American Football
Rabois became an investor in the Alliance of American Football in March 2018, joining forces with Peter Thiel and Peter Chernin, and took on a role as a member of the league's board of directors.
Political Involvement
Rabois was identified as a significant donor to the lobbying organization FWD.us in April 2013. In January 2020, he indicated a preference for supporting Donald Trump over Bernie Sanders, while in 2019 he named Pete Buttigieg as his favored candidate among Democrats.
In 2023, Rabois openly backed Florida's Parental Rights in Education Act. On September 12, 2024, together with his husband Jacob Helberg, he hosted a fundraising event for J.D. Vance in support of Donald Trump's presidential campaign.
Amid the Gaza war, Rabois used X to express support for Israeli military operations and challenged accounts of Palestinian civilian casualties, referring to the Israeli forces as "the most ethical military in world history."
Personal Details
In November 2015, Rabois acquired a residence in San Francisco's Glen Park district. His renovation plans included adding a penthouse level, basketball court, lockers, and a sauna, though these proposals met resistance from local residents.
In 2018, Rabois married Jacob Helberg in a ceremony held in Saint Barthélemy, officiated by Sam Altman.
By November 2020, the couple had moved from California to Miami, Florida.