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{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| name             = Jack Patrick Dorsey
| name = Jack Patrick Dorsey
| birth_name       = Jack Patrick Dorsey
| birth_name = Jack Patrick Dorsey
| birth_date       = {{Birth date and age|1976|11|19}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1976|11|19}}
| birth_place     = [[St. Louis, Missouri]], U.S.
| birth_place = St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
| nationality     = American
| nationality = American
| occupation       = Technology entrepreneur, software developer
| occupation = Technology entrepreneur, software developer
| known_for       = Co-founding [[Twitter]], co-founding [[Block, Inc.]] (formerly Square)
| known_for = Co-founding [[Twitter]], co-founding [[Block, Inc.]] (formerly Square)
| education        = [[New York University]] (attended)
| awards = Innovator of the Year (''The Wall Street Journal'', 2012)
}}
}}


'''Jack Patrick Dorsey''' (born November 19, 1976) is an American technology entrepreneur, programmer, and philanthropist who co-founded two major technology companies: the social media platform [[Twitter]] and the financial services company [[Block, Inc.]], formerly known as Square. Dorsey's career has been defined by an unusual trajectory—he was removed as CEO of Twitter, the company he helped create, at the age of 31, only to return years later while simultaneously building Square into a major financial technology enterprise. His early fascination with the mechanics of urban infrastructure and real-time communication led him to conceive of a service that would allow individuals to broadcast short status updates to the world, an idea that fundamentally altered the landscape of global communication and public discourse. In more recent years, Dorsey has become one of the most prominent advocates for [[Bitcoin]] and decentralized technologies, channeling significant personal and corporate resources into cryptocurrency-related projects, including funding the development of [[Bluesky]], an initiative aimed at creating an open and decentralized standard for social media.<ref>{{cite news |date=2019-12-11 |title=Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has an idealistic vision for the future of social media and is funding a small team to chase it |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/12/11/twitter-ceo-jack-dorsey-announces-bluesky-social-media-standards-push.html |work=CNBC |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref> As of 2025, Dorsey continues to develop new technology products, including Bitchat, an offline messaging application built on Bitcoin's protocol.<ref>{{cite news |date=2025-07-09 |title=Former Twitter CEO Develops Bitchat, an Offline Messaging App |url=https://en.tempo.co/read/2026273/former-twitter-ceo-develops-bitchat-an-offline-messaging-app |work=Tempo.co |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref>
'''Jack Patrick Dorsey''' (born November 19, 1976) is an American technology entrepreneur, programmer, and philanthropist who co-founded two prominent technology companies: the social media platform [[Twitter]] and the financial services company [[Block, Inc.]] (formerly known as Square). Dorsey conceived the original idea for Twitter — a platform that would allow users to share short status updates — and posted the first-ever tweet on March 21, 2006. He served as Twitter's chief executive officer from its founding until 2008, when he was removed from the role by the company's board of directors, and then returned as CEO from 2015 to 2021. Concurrently, he co-founded Square in 2009, a mobile payments company that grew into a major financial technology firm and was later renamed Block, Inc. in 2021 to reflect its broader focus, including investments in [[Bitcoin]] and blockchain technology. Dorsey has become one of the most recognizable figures in the technology industry, and his career has been defined by an interest in the intersection of communication, commerce, and decentralized technology. In more recent years, he has turned his attention to Bitcoin-related projects and new ventures in decentralized communication, including the development of an offline messaging application called Bitchat.<ref>{{cite news |date=2025-07-09 |title=Former Twitter CEO Develops Bitchat, an Offline Messaging App |url=https://en.tempo.co/read/2026273/former-twitter-ceo-develops-bitchat-an-offline-messaging-app |work=Tempo.co |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref>


== Early Life ==
== Early Life ==


Jack Patrick Dorsey was born on November 19, 1976, in [[St. Louis, Missouri]], in the United States. He grew up in the St. Louis metropolitan area, where he developed an early interest in computers and technology. As a child, Dorsey was fascinated by the logistics of urban transit systems—how buses, taxis, and emergency vehicles moved through city streets in real time. This interest in real-time dispatch and coordination would later inform the conceptual underpinnings of Twitter, which at its core is a system for broadcasting short messages in real time to a distributed audience.
Jack Patrick Dorsey was born on November 19, 1976, in St. Louis, Missouri. He grew up in the St. Louis metropolitan area and developed an early interest in computers and programming. As a teenager, Dorsey became fascinated with the logistics of urban transportation, particularly the movement of taxis, ambulances, and delivery vehicles across city grids. This interest in real-time dispatch and routing would later serve as a foundational influence on his conception of Twitter, which he initially envisioned as a system for sharing short status updates about one's location and activities — not unlike a dispatch system for individuals.<ref name="binance">{{cite web |title=Fired from Twitter at 31, he rebuilt a trillion-dollar empire 14 years later with a belief in Bitcoin |url=https://www.binance.com/en/square/post/29082719159522 |publisher=Binance |date=2025-08-31 |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref>


Dorsey began programming as a teenager and by the age of 15 had written dispatch routing software that was used by some taxicab companies. His early aptitude for programming and his specific interest in the problems of real-time communication distinguished him from many of his peers in the technology field. He was drawn not simply to building software for its own sake but to solving particular problems related to how people and vehicles moved through space and communicated their positions and statuses.
Dorsey's early exposure to programming led him to develop open-source software for dispatch routing while still a teenager. His work in this area attracted the attention of professionals in the dispatch industry, and he eventually moved to New York City to pursue opportunities in technology and software development. Dorsey's formative years in St. Louis, a mid-sized American city with a strong industrial heritage, informed his perspective on building technology that could serve ordinary people in practical ways — a philosophy that would later manifest in both Twitter's emphasis on public, real-time communication and Square's focus on making payment processing accessible to small businesses and individual merchants.
 
Growing up in St. Louis, a city with a significant industrial and technological heritage but outside the orbit of [[Silicon Valley]], Dorsey's path to the technology industry was less conventional than those of many of his contemporaries. His early work on dispatch software demonstrated both technical ability and an entrepreneurial instinct, as he sought to create practical tools that could be deployed in real-world business environments.


== Education ==
== Education ==


Dorsey attended the [[Missouri University of Science and Technology]] (then known as the University of Missouri–Rolla) before transferring to [[New York University]] in [[Manhattan]]. He did not complete his degree, choosing instead to pursue entrepreneurial opportunities in the technology sector. His time in New York City exposed him to the fast-paced, interconnected nature of urban life, which further stimulated his thinking about real-time communication and status broadcasting. The decision to leave university without graduating placed Dorsey in the company of several other prominent technology entrepreneurs who followed a similar path, though Dorsey's route to entrepreneurial success was neither immediate nor straightforward.
Dorsey attended the Missouri University of Science and Technology (formerly the University of Missouri–Rolla) before transferring to New York University. He did not complete a degree at either institution, choosing instead to pursue his entrepreneurial interests directly. While at NYU, Dorsey was exposed to the vibrant technology and media scenes of New York City in the late 1990s, a period of rapid internet expansion. His decision to leave formal education and enter the technology industry directly was characteristic of a broader pattern among Silicon Valley entrepreneurs of his generation who prioritized hands-on experience and startup culture over traditional academic credentials.


== Career ==
== Career ==
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=== Founding of Twitter ===
=== Founding of Twitter ===


The idea that would eventually become Twitter had its roots in Dorsey's longstanding interest in status updates and real-time communication. Dorsey envisioned a service that would allow users to share short updates about what they were doing—essentially applying the concept of dispatch messaging to personal communication. In 2006, while working at the podcasting company [[Odeo]], Dorsey pitched his idea for a short message service (SMS)-based platform to his colleagues, including [[Noah Glass]], [[Biz Stone]], and [[Evan Williams (Internet entrepreneur)|Evan Williams]]. The concept resonated with the team, and development of the platform began.
In 2005, Dorsey was working at a podcasting company called Odeo, based in San Francisco. When Apple's iTunes began integrating podcasting features, Odeo's core business model was undermined, prompting the company's leadership — including co-founders Evan Williams and Biz Stone — to explore new product ideas. Dorsey pitched a concept he had been contemplating for years: a platform that would allow users to send short text-based status updates, similar to SMS messages, to a group of followers. The idea drew on Dorsey's longstanding interest in dispatch systems and real-time communication.<ref name="binance" />
 
Twitter launched publicly in July 2006. The platform allowed users to post messages of up to 140 characters, a constraint derived from the limitations of SMS technology. The brevity of the format proved to be one of Twitter's defining features, forcing users to distill their thoughts into concise statements. The platform grew rapidly, attracting attention from media, celebrities, politicians, and ordinary users around the world. Dorsey served as the company's first CEO, overseeing its early growth and development.
 
Twitter's rise was not without complications, however. As the platform scaled, it faced significant technical challenges, including frequent service outages that became symbolized by the "fail whale" image displayed when the site went down. Questions arose about Dorsey's management style and his ability to lead the company through its rapid growth phase.
 
=== Removal from Twitter ===
 
In October 2008, Dorsey was removed as CEO of Twitter by the company's board of directors. He was 31 years old at the time. The circumstances of his departure were contentious. According to multiple accounts, Dorsey looked around the boardroom table searching for an ally but found the decision had already been made.<ref name="binance">{{cite web |title=Fired from Twitter at 31, he rebuilt a trillion-dollar empire 14 years later with a belief in Bitcoin |url=https://www.binance.com/en/square/post/29082719159522 |publisher=Binance |date=2025-08-31 |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref><ref name="bitget1">{{cite web |title=Fired from Twitter, the company he founded, at age 31, he rebuilt a trillion-dollar empire 14 years later with his belief in bitcoin |url=https://www.bitget.com/news/detail/12560604944051 |publisher=Bitget |date=2025-09-01 |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref> The board was reportedly concerned about internal management issues and the company's ability to navigate its growing infrastructure demands.


Dorsey was given the title of chairman of the board, a position that kept him connected to the company but removed him from day-to-day operational control. The experience of being ousted from the company he had co-founded was a defining moment in Dorsey's career, one that he would later draw upon in shaping his subsequent ventures.
The resulting service, initially called "twttr" (inspired by the five-character format of Flickr), launched internally at Odeo in early 2006. Dorsey sent the first-ever tweet on March 21, 2006, with the message "just setting up my twttr." Twitter was formally incorporated as a separate company later that year, with Dorsey serving as its first chief executive officer. The platform quickly gained traction among technology enthusiasts, journalists, and public figures for its simplicity and immediacy. Twitter's 140-character message limit (later expanded to 280 characters) became a defining feature that encouraged concise, real-time public discourse.


=== Founding of Square (now Block, Inc.) ===
Under Dorsey's initial leadership, Twitter grew rapidly but also faced significant operational challenges, including frequent service outages (symbolized by the platform's "fail whale" error page) and difficulties in articulating a clear revenue model. Despite the platform's growing cultural influence, internal tensions arose regarding the company's direction and management.


Following his removal from Twitter's CEO role, Dorsey channeled his energy into a new venture. He co-founded Square in 2009, a mobile payments company that aimed to make it easier for small businesses and individuals to accept credit card payments. Square's initial product was a small card reader that plugged into the headphone jack of a smartphone, enabling anyone with a mobile phone to process credit card transactions. The simplicity and accessibility of the product made it popular with small merchants, food trucks, market vendors, and other businesses that had previously found it difficult or expensive to accept card payments.
=== Removal as Twitter CEO (2008) ===


Square grew steadily throughout the 2010s, expanding its product line to include point-of-sale systems, small business lending (Square Capital), the Cash App peer-to-peer payment platform, and various other financial services tools. The company went public in November 2015.
In October 2008, Twitter's board of directors made the decision to remove Dorsey from the role of CEO. The boardroom meeting was described as a tense affair, with Dorsey looking around the table for an ally among the board members as the decision was delivered.<ref name="binance" /><ref name="bitget1">{{cite news |date=2025-09-01 |title=Jack Dorsey: The Man Who Reshaped Global Communication |url=https://www.bitget.com/news/detail/12560604944104 |work=Bitget |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref> At the time of his ouster, Dorsey was 31 years old. The removal was attributed to concerns about his management style and the company's operational difficulties during a period of rapid growth. Dorsey was given the title of chairman of the board, a role that kept him associated with the company but removed him from day-to-day operational control.<ref name="bitget2">{{cite news |date=2025-09-01 |title=Fired from Twitter, the company he founded, at age 31, he rebuilt a trillion-dollar empire 14 years later with his belief in bitcoin |url=https://www.bitget.com/news/detail/12560604944051 |work=Bitget |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref>


During the process of rebuilding his career after his removal from Twitter, Dorsey discovered [[Bitcoin]].<ref name="bitget2">{{cite web |title=Jack Dorsey: The Man Who Reshaped Global Communication |url=https://www.bitget.com/news/detail/12560604944104 |publisher=Bitget |date=2025-09-01 |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref> This discovery would prove to be transformative for both Dorsey personally and for Square as a company. Dorsey became an outspoken advocate for Bitcoin and its underlying blockchain technology, viewing it as a means of creating a more open and decentralized financial system. Under his leadership, Square integrated Bitcoin buying and selling into the Cash App, making cryptocurrency accessible to millions of mainstream users.
The experience of being removed from the company he had co-founded was a defining moment in Dorsey's career. In interviews and public statements in the years that followed, he reflected on the lessons he drew from the experience, including the importance of operational discipline and clear communication with boards and investors.


In December 2021, Square changed its corporate name to [[Block, Inc.]], reflecting Dorsey's deepening commitment to blockchain and cryptocurrency technologies. The name change signaled that the company's ambitions extended well beyond its original mobile payments business.
=== Founding of Square ===


=== Return to Twitter ===
Following his departure from Twitter's executive leadership, Dorsey turned his attention to a new venture. During the process of rebuilding his career after being ousted from Twitter, Dorsey co-founded Square in 2009 with Jim McKelvey, a friend and fellow St. Louis native.<ref name="bitget1" /> Square was conceived as a mobile payments company that would allow small businesses and individual merchants to accept credit card payments using a small card reader attached to a smartphone or tablet. The company addressed a significant gap in the payments market: many small businesses, street vendors, and independent contractors had previously been unable to afford or qualify for traditional credit card processing systems.


In 2015, Dorsey returned to Twitter as CEO, a remarkable turn of events given the circumstances of his departure seven years earlier. He held the dual role of CEO at both Twitter and Square simultaneously, a situation that drew scrutiny from investors and analysts who questioned whether one individual could effectively lead two publicly traded technology companies at the same time.
Square's initial product — a small, white, square-shaped card reader that plugged into a mobile device's headphone jack — became iconic in the financial technology industry. The company expanded its product offerings over time to include point-of-sale systems, business analytics tools, payroll services, and consumer-facing products such as the Cash App, a peer-to-peer payment application that grew to become one of the most popular financial apps in the United States.


During his second tenure as Twitter CEO, Dorsey oversaw several significant initiatives. He acknowledged publicly the challenges the platform faced regarding user safety and the real-world consequences of online discourse. In a 2019 interview, Dorsey admitted that there was a connection between activity on Twitter and physical danger to people in the real world.<ref>{{cite news |date=2019-02-12 |title=Jack Dorsey admits a link between Twitter activity and physical danger to people |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/12/twitter-ceo-jack-dorsey-admits-between-twitter-and-danger-to-people.html |work=CNBC |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref> This acknowledgment came as Twitter faced increasing criticism over its role in facilitating harassment, misinformation, and political extremism.
Square went public in November 2015 with an initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange. The company's growth trajectory continued in subsequent years, driven in part by the increasing adoption of mobile and digital payments. In December 2021, Square officially changed its corporate name to Block, Inc., reflecting an expanded focus that included blockchain technology and Bitcoin-related initiatives.<ref name="binance" />


In November 2019, Dorsey tweeted from the airport in [[Addis Ababa]], Ethiopia, that he intended to spend time in Africa, signaling an interest in the continent's growing technology ecosystem. However, this announcement drew criticism from observers who argued that Twitter had not adequately served African countries and their users. Critics pointed to the platform's insufficient content moderation resources for non-English languages, its slow response to government-ordered shutdowns in African nations, and its limited investment in the continent relative to other markets.<ref>{{cite news |last= |first= |date=2021-12-03 |title=Jack Dorsey's Twitter Failed African Countries |url=https://www.wired.com/story/jack-dorseys-twitter-failed-african-countries/ |work=WIRED |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref>
=== Return to Twitter as CEO (2015–2021) ===


=== Bluesky Initiative ===
In 2015, Dorsey returned to Twitter as chief executive officer, a notable reversal from his 2008 removal. His return came during a period of stagnation for the platform, which was struggling with slowing user growth, persistent challenges in content moderation, and difficulty competing with rivals such as Facebook and Instagram. Dorsey's dual role as CEO of both Twitter and Square was unusual in the technology industry and drew scrutiny from investors and analysts who questioned whether he could effectively lead two major public companies simultaneously.


In December 2019, Dorsey announced that Twitter would fund a small independent team of up to five architects, engineers, and designers to develop an open-source and decentralized standard for social media. The project was named [[Bluesky]].<ref>{{cite news |date=2019-12-11 |title=Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has an idealistic vision for the future of social media and is funding a small team to chase it |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/12/11/twitter-ceo-jack-dorsey-announces-bluesky-social-media-standards-push.html |work=CNBC |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref> Dorsey described the initiative as an effort to create a standard that Twitter could eventually adopt, which would shift the platform from a centralized model to a decentralized one in which no single company controlled the infrastructure of social media discourse.
During his second tenure as Twitter CEO, Dorsey oversaw several significant developments. The platform expanded its character limit from 140 to 280 characters, introduced new features such as threaded conversations and audio-based Spaces, and made efforts to address the spread of misinformation and harmful content. In a February 2019 interview, Dorsey acknowledged that there was a link between activity on Twitter and real-life physical danger to people, signaling a growing awareness within the company of its responsibilities regarding user safety and content moderation.<ref>{{cite news |last= |first= |date=2019-02-12 |title=Jack Dorsey admits a link between Twitter activity and physical danger to people |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/12/twitter-ceo-jack-dorsey-admits-between-twitter-and-danger-to-people.html |work=CNBC |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref>


The Bluesky project reflected Dorsey's broader philosophical commitment to decentralization, a principle he also championed in the context of Bitcoin and blockchain technology. He argued that centralizing the control of social media in the hands of a few companies created inherent risks and limitations, and that an open protocol for social networking could address many of the moderation, censorship, and governance challenges facing the industry.
In December 2019, Dorsey announced the creation of Bluesky, a Twitter-funded initiative to develop an open-source and decentralized standard for social media. The project was conceived as a small team of up to five architects, engineers, and designers who would work on creating a protocol that could serve as the foundation for decentralized social networking.<ref>{{cite news |date=2019-12-11 |title=Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has an idealistic vision for the future of social media and is funding a small team to chase it |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/12/11/twitter-ceo-jack-dorsey-announces-bluesky-social-media-standards-push.html |work=CNBC |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref> The Bluesky initiative reflected Dorsey's growing interest in decentralization as a principle for internet platforms, a theme that would become increasingly central to his public statements and business decisions.


Bluesky eventually became an independent entity, separate from Twitter, and launched its own decentralized social media platform based on the AT Protocol. The project's development continued even after Dorsey's departure from Twitter.
In November 2019, Dorsey tweeted from the airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, announcing that he planned to move to "Africa" for an extended period, citing the continent's potential as a hub for technological innovation. However, this plan did not fully materialize, and Dorsey's engagement with Africa drew criticism. A 2021 report in ''Wired'' argued that Twitter under Dorsey's leadership had failed African countries, noting that the platform had not adequately addressed issues of content moderation, misinformation, and government censorship in African markets despite Dorsey's expressed interest in the continent.<ref>{{cite news |date=2021-12-03 |title=Jack Dorsey's Twitter Failed African Countries |url=https://www.wired.com/story/jack-dorseys-twitter-failed-african-countries/ |work=WIRED |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref>


=== Departure from Twitter and Focus on Block ===
Dorsey stepped down as CEO of Twitter on November 29, 2021, handing the role to Parag Agrawal, the company's chief technology officer. In his resignation announcement, Dorsey expressed his belief that Twitter needed to move beyond its founders and that the company should not be led by them indefinitely. Twitter was subsequently acquired by Elon Musk in October 2022 and rebranded as X.


Dorsey stepped down as CEO of Twitter in November 2021, handing the role to [[Parag Agrawal]]. His departure came amid growing investor pressure and questions about his divided attention between Twitter and Square (soon to be Block). Following his departure, Dorsey focused his efforts on Block and its various subsidiaries and initiatives, including the Cash App, the decentralized Bitcoin exchange tbDEX, and the company's Bitcoin mining hardware development.
=== Block, Inc. and Bitcoin Advocacy ===


In 2022, Twitter was acquired by [[Elon Musk]], who subsequently rebranded the platform as [[X (social network)|X]]. Dorsey's relationship with the platform he co-founded thus entered a new chapter, as it came under entirely different ownership and management.
After departing Twitter, Dorsey focused his attention on Block, Inc. and its Bitcoin-related initiatives. During the process of rebuilding his career following his first removal from Twitter in 2008, Dorsey had discovered Bitcoin, and the cryptocurrency became a central element of his business philosophy and public advocacy.<ref name="bitget1" /> Under Dorsey's leadership, Block, Inc. invested significant resources in Bitcoin development, including the creation of a hardware wallet for Bitcoin storage and the integration of Bitcoin purchasing and trading features into the Cash App.


=== Bitcoin Advocacy and Recent Ventures ===
Dorsey became one of the most prominent advocates for Bitcoin in the technology industry, frequently describing it as a transformative technology with the potential to create a more open and decentralized financial system. His belief in Bitcoin was described as a driving force behind his decision to rename Square to Block, Inc. in 2021, with the new name referencing both the blockchain technology underlying Bitcoin and the building-block metaphor for the company's expanding suite of products.<ref name="binance" /><ref name="bitget2" />


Dorsey's commitment to Bitcoin has been one of the most prominent aspects of his public persona in recent years. He has described Bitcoin as the "native currency of the internet" and has directed significant corporate and personal resources toward its development and adoption. Under his leadership, Block invested in Bitcoin mining operations and developed dedicated Bitcoin hardware.
Block, Inc. under Dorsey's leadership also pursued initiatives in Bitcoin mining, decentralized identity, and open-source Bitcoin development through its subsidiary TBD (formerly known as Square Crypto), which funded open-source contributors working on Bitcoin's core protocol and related technologies.


Dorsey's belief in Bitcoin extended beyond financial investment. He articulated a vision in which Bitcoin and its underlying protocol could serve as the foundation for a more open, decentralized internet—one in which individuals had greater control over their data, their financial transactions, and their online communications.
=== Bitchat and Recent Ventures ===


As of 2025, Dorsey announced the development of Bitchat, an offline messaging application built on Bitcoin's protocol.<ref>{{cite news |date=2025-07-09 |title=Former Twitter CEO Develops Bitchat, an Offline Messaging App |url=https://en.tempo.co/read/2026273/former-twitter-ceo-develops-bitchat-an-offline-messaging-app |work=Tempo.co |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref> The application is designed to enable messaging without relying on traditional internet connectivity, using Bitcoin's decentralized network infrastructure instead. The project drew attention from governments and regulators in various countries; Uganda's communications regulator, for example, claimed it had the capacity to block the application, to which Dorsey publicly responded.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ex-Twitter CEO reacts to Uganda's claim it can block his new messaging app |url=https://www.pulse.ug/story/ex-twitter-ceo-reacts-to-ugandas-claim-it-can-block-his-new-messaging-app-2026010606445534155 |publisher=Pulse Uganda |date=2025-06-06 |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref>
In 2025, Dorsey announced the development of Bitchat, an offline messaging application designed to facilitate communication without reliance on traditional internet infrastructure. The application was described as representing Dorsey's continued interest in decentralized and resilient communication technologies.<ref>{{cite news |date=2025-07-09 |title=Former Twitter CEO Develops Bitchat, an Offline Messaging App |url=https://en.tempo.co/read/2026273/former-twitter-ceo-develops-bitchat-an-offline-messaging-app |work=Tempo.co |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref> The app drew attention from governments and regulators in various countries; Uganda's communications regulator, for instance, claimed it had the capacity to block the application, to which Dorsey publicly responded.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ex-Twitter CEO reacts to Uganda's claim it can block his new messaging app |url=https://www.pulse.ug/story/ex-twitter-ceo-reacts-to-ugandas-claim-it-can-block-his-new-messaging-app-2026010606445534155 |publisher=Pulse Uganda |date=2026-01-06 |access-date=2026-02-24}}</ref>


The development of Bitchat reflects Dorsey's ongoing interest in building communication tools that operate outside the control of centralized platforms and governments, continuing the thematic thread that has run through his career from Twitter to Bluesky to his Bitcoin-related ventures.
The development of Bitchat was consistent with Dorsey's broader trajectory toward decentralized technology platforms, building on his earlier support for the Bluesky decentralized social media protocol and his advocacy for Bitcoin as an alternative financial system.


== Personal Life ==
== Personal Life ==


Dorsey has been known for his interest in various wellness practices, including meditation, fasting, and cold exposure therapy. He has spoken publicly about his daily routines, which have at times drawn media attention and public commentary. Dorsey is unmarried and has maintained a relatively private personal life compared to some of his peers in the technology industry.
Dorsey is known for maintaining a distinctive personal lifestyle that has drawn public attention. He has spoken publicly about his wellness routines, which have at various times included extended fasting, meditation, and ice baths. His personal style — often characterized by a full beard and casual attire — has been a subject of media commentary throughout his career.


Dorsey has been involved in philanthropic efforts, including commitments to fund various charitable causes. In April 2020, he pledged $1 billion in Square equity—approximately 28% of his wealth at the time—to fund COVID-19 relief efforts, and subsequently to support girls' health and education, and universal basic income (UBI) experiments, through a fund called Start Small.
Dorsey has been a vocal advocate for various social causes. He made significant philanthropic commitments during the COVID-19 pandemic, pledging $1 billion in equity from his Square holdings (approximately 28% of his wealth at the time) to fund COVID-19 relief, girls' health and education, and universal basic income initiatives through a fund called Start Small.


His public statements and activities have reflected a consistent interest in decentralization, individual empowerment, and the development of open-source technologies. He has traveled extensively and has expressed particular interest in the technology ecosystems of Africa and other developing regions, though his engagement with these areas has also drawn criticism regarding follow-through and substance.
Dorsey's personal interest in Bitcoin extends beyond his business activities; he has described Bitcoin as a tool for financial empowerment and has expressed a belief in its potential to address economic inequality on a global scale. His advocacy for decentralized technologies has been a consistent theme in both his professional and personal life.


== Recognition ==
== Recognition ==


Dorsey has received significant recognition for his contributions to technology and entrepreneurship. He has been featured on ''Time'' magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in the world, and has been profiled extensively by major media outlets including ''The New York Times'', ''The Wall Street Journal'', ''WIRED'', and CNBC, among others.
Dorsey has received recognition from multiple organizations for his contributions to technology and entrepreneurship. In 2012, ''The Wall Street Journal'' named him Innovator of the Year. He has appeared on ''Time'' magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in the world, reflecting his role in shaping global communication through Twitter.
 
His dual role as CEO of two publicly traded companies—Twitter and Square—was itself a subject of considerable media and business analysis, with commentators debating both its feasibility and its implications for corporate governance. Dorsey's advocacy for Bitcoin and decentralized technologies has made him a central figure in the cryptocurrency community, where he is frequently invited to speak at conferences and industry events.


Twitter, the platform Dorsey co-founded, has been credited with reshaping global communication, providing a tool for political activism, journalism, celebrity culture, and public discourse. The platform played notable roles in events such as the [[Arab Spring]], the 2016 United States presidential election, and various social justice movements, though it also faced criticism for enabling harassment and the spread of misinformation.
His work with Square (now Block, Inc.) has been recognized within the financial technology industry, with the company credited as a pioneer in mobile payments and financial services for small businesses. Dorsey's dual role as CEO of two publicly traded companies — Twitter and Square — was unusual in the technology sector and drew both admiration and skepticism from business commentators.


Square, now Block, has been recognized for democratizing access to financial services, particularly for small businesses and individuals who were previously underserved by traditional banking and payment processing infrastructure.
Dorsey's advocacy for Bitcoin and decentralized technology has also positioned him as a prominent figure within the cryptocurrency community. He has spoken at major Bitcoin conferences and has been recognized by cryptocurrency-focused publications and organizations for his contributions to the adoption and development of Bitcoin-related technologies.


== Legacy ==
== Legacy ==


Dorsey's legacy is intertwined with two companies that have had substantial effects on technology, communication, and finance. Twitter, which he co-conceived and co-founded, became one of the defining platforms of the social media era, used by hundreds of millions of people and playing a role in political communication, journalism, activism, and entertainment worldwide. The platform's 140-character constraint (later expanded to 280 characters) became iconic, and the term "tweet" entered common parlance. The platform's influence on public discourse has been the subject of extensive academic study and public debate.<ref name="bitget2" />
Jack Dorsey's career spans two of the most significant technology platforms to emerge in the early 21st century. Twitter fundamentally altered the nature of public discourse, creating a new medium for real-time communication that was adopted by journalists, politicians, activists, and ordinary citizens worldwide. The platform played a role in major global events, including the Arab Spring, various political campaigns, and the dissemination of breaking news. While Dorsey was not solely responsible for Twitter's evolution — the platform was shaped by multiple co-founders, executives, and millions of users — his original conception of the service as a short-message status update system laid the groundwork for its development.


Block, Inc. (formerly Square) transformed the payments industry by making it possible for small merchants to accept electronic payments with minimal infrastructure, and through the Cash App, brought peer-to-peer payments and cryptocurrency access to a mass audience. The company's evolution into a broader financial services and Bitcoin-focused enterprise under Dorsey's leadership reflected his shifting priorities and his growing conviction that decentralized technologies represented the future of finance.
Square (now Block, Inc.) addressed a fundamental challenge in financial services by making payment processing accessible to small businesses and individuals who had previously been excluded from the credit card ecosystem. The Cash App became a major consumer financial product, and the company's expansion into Bitcoin and blockchain technology positioned it at the forefront of the cryptocurrency industry.


Dorsey's career trajectory—from co-founding a transformative social media platform, to being removed from its leadership, to building a second major company, to returning as CEO, and ultimately to departing again to focus on Bitcoin and decentralization—has been characterized by both significant accomplishment and persistent controversy. His advocacy for open protocols, decentralized systems, and Bitcoin continues to shape discussions about the future of the internet and financial technology.
Dorsey's journey from being removed as Twitter CEO at age 31 to rebuilding his career and building a second major technology company has been described as a significant narrative in the history of Silicon Valley entrepreneurship.<ref name="binance" /><ref name="bitget2" /> His later career pivot toward Bitcoin and decentralized technologies represents a departure from the centralized platform model that defined his earlier work, reflecting a broader shift in the technology industry toward decentralization and user sovereignty.


The development of projects like Bluesky and Bitchat suggests that Dorsey's influence on technology may extend beyond his two best-known companies, as he continues to pursue his vision of decentralized communication and financial infrastructure.
His ongoing projects, including Bitchat and continued Bitcoin development through Block, Inc., suggest that Dorsey's influence on the technology industry continues to evolve, with an increasing emphasis on decentralized communication and financial systems.


== References ==
== References ==
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Latest revision as of 07:05, 24 February 2026



Jack Patrick Dorsey
BornJack Patrick Dorsey
19 11, 1976
BirthplaceSt. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
OccupationTechnology entrepreneur, software developer
Known forCo-founding Twitter, co-founding Block, Inc. (formerly Square)
AwardsInnovator of the Year (The Wall Street Journal, 2012)

Jack Patrick Dorsey (born November 19, 1976) is an American technology entrepreneur, programmer, and philanthropist who co-founded two prominent technology companies: the social media platform Twitter and the financial services company Block, Inc. (formerly known as Square). Dorsey conceived the original idea for Twitter — a platform that would allow users to share short status updates — and posted the first-ever tweet on March 21, 2006. He served as Twitter's chief executive officer from its founding until 2008, when he was removed from the role by the company's board of directors, and then returned as CEO from 2015 to 2021. Concurrently, he co-founded Square in 2009, a mobile payments company that grew into a major financial technology firm and was later renamed Block, Inc. in 2021 to reflect its broader focus, including investments in Bitcoin and blockchain technology. Dorsey has become one of the most recognizable figures in the technology industry, and his career has been defined by an interest in the intersection of communication, commerce, and decentralized technology. In more recent years, he has turned his attention to Bitcoin-related projects and new ventures in decentralized communication, including the development of an offline messaging application called Bitchat.[1]

Early Life

Jack Patrick Dorsey was born on November 19, 1976, in St. Louis, Missouri. He grew up in the St. Louis metropolitan area and developed an early interest in computers and programming. As a teenager, Dorsey became fascinated with the logistics of urban transportation, particularly the movement of taxis, ambulances, and delivery vehicles across city grids. This interest in real-time dispatch and routing would later serve as a foundational influence on his conception of Twitter, which he initially envisioned as a system for sharing short status updates about one's location and activities — not unlike a dispatch system for individuals.[2]

Dorsey's early exposure to programming led him to develop open-source software for dispatch routing while still a teenager. His work in this area attracted the attention of professionals in the dispatch industry, and he eventually moved to New York City to pursue opportunities in technology and software development. Dorsey's formative years in St. Louis, a mid-sized American city with a strong industrial heritage, informed his perspective on building technology that could serve ordinary people in practical ways — a philosophy that would later manifest in both Twitter's emphasis on public, real-time communication and Square's focus on making payment processing accessible to small businesses and individual merchants.

Education

Dorsey attended the Missouri University of Science and Technology (formerly the University of Missouri–Rolla) before transferring to New York University. He did not complete a degree at either institution, choosing instead to pursue his entrepreneurial interests directly. While at NYU, Dorsey was exposed to the vibrant technology and media scenes of New York City in the late 1990s, a period of rapid internet expansion. His decision to leave formal education and enter the technology industry directly was characteristic of a broader pattern among Silicon Valley entrepreneurs of his generation who prioritized hands-on experience and startup culture over traditional academic credentials.

Career

Founding of Twitter

In 2005, Dorsey was working at a podcasting company called Odeo, based in San Francisco. When Apple's iTunes began integrating podcasting features, Odeo's core business model was undermined, prompting the company's leadership — including co-founders Evan Williams and Biz Stone — to explore new product ideas. Dorsey pitched a concept he had been contemplating for years: a platform that would allow users to send short text-based status updates, similar to SMS messages, to a group of followers. The idea drew on Dorsey's longstanding interest in dispatch systems and real-time communication.[2]

The resulting service, initially called "twttr" (inspired by the five-character format of Flickr), launched internally at Odeo in early 2006. Dorsey sent the first-ever tweet on March 21, 2006, with the message "just setting up my twttr." Twitter was formally incorporated as a separate company later that year, with Dorsey serving as its first chief executive officer. The platform quickly gained traction among technology enthusiasts, journalists, and public figures for its simplicity and immediacy. Twitter's 140-character message limit (later expanded to 280 characters) became a defining feature that encouraged concise, real-time public discourse.

Under Dorsey's initial leadership, Twitter grew rapidly but also faced significant operational challenges, including frequent service outages (symbolized by the platform's "fail whale" error page) and difficulties in articulating a clear revenue model. Despite the platform's growing cultural influence, internal tensions arose regarding the company's direction and management.

Removal as Twitter CEO (2008)

In October 2008, Twitter's board of directors made the decision to remove Dorsey from the role of CEO. The boardroom meeting was described as a tense affair, with Dorsey looking around the table for an ally among the board members as the decision was delivered.[2][3] At the time of his ouster, Dorsey was 31 years old. The removal was attributed to concerns about his management style and the company's operational difficulties during a period of rapid growth. Dorsey was given the title of chairman of the board, a role that kept him associated with the company but removed him from day-to-day operational control.[4]

The experience of being removed from the company he had co-founded was a defining moment in Dorsey's career. In interviews and public statements in the years that followed, he reflected on the lessons he drew from the experience, including the importance of operational discipline and clear communication with boards and investors.

Founding of Square

Following his departure from Twitter's executive leadership, Dorsey turned his attention to a new venture. During the process of rebuilding his career after being ousted from Twitter, Dorsey co-founded Square in 2009 with Jim McKelvey, a friend and fellow St. Louis native.[3] Square was conceived as a mobile payments company that would allow small businesses and individual merchants to accept credit card payments using a small card reader attached to a smartphone or tablet. The company addressed a significant gap in the payments market: many small businesses, street vendors, and independent contractors had previously been unable to afford or qualify for traditional credit card processing systems.

Square's initial product — a small, white, square-shaped card reader that plugged into a mobile device's headphone jack — became iconic in the financial technology industry. The company expanded its product offerings over time to include point-of-sale systems, business analytics tools, payroll services, and consumer-facing products such as the Cash App, a peer-to-peer payment application that grew to become one of the most popular financial apps in the United States.

Square went public in November 2015 with an initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange. The company's growth trajectory continued in subsequent years, driven in part by the increasing adoption of mobile and digital payments. In December 2021, Square officially changed its corporate name to Block, Inc., reflecting an expanded focus that included blockchain technology and Bitcoin-related initiatives.[2]

Return to Twitter as CEO (2015–2021)

In 2015, Dorsey returned to Twitter as chief executive officer, a notable reversal from his 2008 removal. His return came during a period of stagnation for the platform, which was struggling with slowing user growth, persistent challenges in content moderation, and difficulty competing with rivals such as Facebook and Instagram. Dorsey's dual role as CEO of both Twitter and Square was unusual in the technology industry and drew scrutiny from investors and analysts who questioned whether he could effectively lead two major public companies simultaneously.

During his second tenure as Twitter CEO, Dorsey oversaw several significant developments. The platform expanded its character limit from 140 to 280 characters, introduced new features such as threaded conversations and audio-based Spaces, and made efforts to address the spread of misinformation and harmful content. In a February 2019 interview, Dorsey acknowledged that there was a link between activity on Twitter and real-life physical danger to people, signaling a growing awareness within the company of its responsibilities regarding user safety and content moderation.[5]

In December 2019, Dorsey announced the creation of Bluesky, a Twitter-funded initiative to develop an open-source and decentralized standard for social media. The project was conceived as a small team of up to five architects, engineers, and designers who would work on creating a protocol that could serve as the foundation for decentralized social networking.[6] The Bluesky initiative reflected Dorsey's growing interest in decentralization as a principle for internet platforms, a theme that would become increasingly central to his public statements and business decisions.

In November 2019, Dorsey tweeted from the airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, announcing that he planned to move to "Africa" for an extended period, citing the continent's potential as a hub for technological innovation. However, this plan did not fully materialize, and Dorsey's engagement with Africa drew criticism. A 2021 report in Wired argued that Twitter under Dorsey's leadership had failed African countries, noting that the platform had not adequately addressed issues of content moderation, misinformation, and government censorship in African markets despite Dorsey's expressed interest in the continent.[7]

Dorsey stepped down as CEO of Twitter on November 29, 2021, handing the role to Parag Agrawal, the company's chief technology officer. In his resignation announcement, Dorsey expressed his belief that Twitter needed to move beyond its founders and that the company should not be led by them indefinitely. Twitter was subsequently acquired by Elon Musk in October 2022 and rebranded as X.

Block, Inc. and Bitcoin Advocacy

After departing Twitter, Dorsey focused his attention on Block, Inc. and its Bitcoin-related initiatives. During the process of rebuilding his career following his first removal from Twitter in 2008, Dorsey had discovered Bitcoin, and the cryptocurrency became a central element of his business philosophy and public advocacy.[3] Under Dorsey's leadership, Block, Inc. invested significant resources in Bitcoin development, including the creation of a hardware wallet for Bitcoin storage and the integration of Bitcoin purchasing and trading features into the Cash App.

Dorsey became one of the most prominent advocates for Bitcoin in the technology industry, frequently describing it as a transformative technology with the potential to create a more open and decentralized financial system. His belief in Bitcoin was described as a driving force behind his decision to rename Square to Block, Inc. in 2021, with the new name referencing both the blockchain technology underlying Bitcoin and the building-block metaphor for the company's expanding suite of products.[2][4]

Block, Inc. under Dorsey's leadership also pursued initiatives in Bitcoin mining, decentralized identity, and open-source Bitcoin development through its subsidiary TBD (formerly known as Square Crypto), which funded open-source contributors working on Bitcoin's core protocol and related technologies.

Bitchat and Recent Ventures

In 2025, Dorsey announced the development of Bitchat, an offline messaging application designed to facilitate communication without reliance on traditional internet infrastructure. The application was described as representing Dorsey's continued interest in decentralized and resilient communication technologies.[8] The app drew attention from governments and regulators in various countries; Uganda's communications regulator, for instance, claimed it had the capacity to block the application, to which Dorsey publicly responded.[9]

The development of Bitchat was consistent with Dorsey's broader trajectory toward decentralized technology platforms, building on his earlier support for the Bluesky decentralized social media protocol and his advocacy for Bitcoin as an alternative financial system.

Personal Life

Dorsey is known for maintaining a distinctive personal lifestyle that has drawn public attention. He has spoken publicly about his wellness routines, which have at various times included extended fasting, meditation, and ice baths. His personal style — often characterized by a full beard and casual attire — has been a subject of media commentary throughout his career.

Dorsey has been a vocal advocate for various social causes. He made significant philanthropic commitments during the COVID-19 pandemic, pledging $1 billion in equity from his Square holdings (approximately 28% of his wealth at the time) to fund COVID-19 relief, girls' health and education, and universal basic income initiatives through a fund called Start Small.

Dorsey's personal interest in Bitcoin extends beyond his business activities; he has described Bitcoin as a tool for financial empowerment and has expressed a belief in its potential to address economic inequality on a global scale. His advocacy for decentralized technologies has been a consistent theme in both his professional and personal life.

Recognition

Dorsey has received recognition from multiple organizations for his contributions to technology and entrepreneurship. In 2012, The Wall Street Journal named him Innovator of the Year. He has appeared on Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in the world, reflecting his role in shaping global communication through Twitter.

His work with Square (now Block, Inc.) has been recognized within the financial technology industry, with the company credited as a pioneer in mobile payments and financial services for small businesses. Dorsey's dual role as CEO of two publicly traded companies — Twitter and Square — was unusual in the technology sector and drew both admiration and skepticism from business commentators.

Dorsey's advocacy for Bitcoin and decentralized technology has also positioned him as a prominent figure within the cryptocurrency community. He has spoken at major Bitcoin conferences and has been recognized by cryptocurrency-focused publications and organizations for his contributions to the adoption and development of Bitcoin-related technologies.

Legacy

Jack Dorsey's career spans two of the most significant technology platforms to emerge in the early 21st century. Twitter fundamentally altered the nature of public discourse, creating a new medium for real-time communication that was adopted by journalists, politicians, activists, and ordinary citizens worldwide. The platform played a role in major global events, including the Arab Spring, various political campaigns, and the dissemination of breaking news. While Dorsey was not solely responsible for Twitter's evolution — the platform was shaped by multiple co-founders, executives, and millions of users — his original conception of the service as a short-message status update system laid the groundwork for its development.

Square (now Block, Inc.) addressed a fundamental challenge in financial services by making payment processing accessible to small businesses and individuals who had previously been excluded from the credit card ecosystem. The Cash App became a major consumer financial product, and the company's expansion into Bitcoin and blockchain technology positioned it at the forefront of the cryptocurrency industry.

Dorsey's journey from being removed as Twitter CEO at age 31 to rebuilding his career and building a second major technology company has been described as a significant narrative in the history of Silicon Valley entrepreneurship.[2][4] His later career pivot toward Bitcoin and decentralized technologies represents a departure from the centralized platform model that defined his earlier work, reflecting a broader shift in the technology industry toward decentralization and user sovereignty.

His ongoing projects, including Bitchat and continued Bitcoin development through Block, Inc., suggest that Dorsey's influence on the technology industry continues to evolve, with an increasing emphasis on decentralized communication and financial systems.

References

  1. ↑ "Former Twitter CEO Develops Bitchat, an Offline Messaging App".Tempo.co.2025-07-09.https://en.tempo.co/read/2026273/former-twitter-ceo-develops-bitchat-an-offline-messaging-app.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 "Fired from Twitter at 31, he rebuilt a trillion-dollar empire 14 years later with a belief in Bitcoin".Binance.2025-08-31.https://www.binance.com/en/square/post/29082719159522.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Jack Dorsey: The Man Who Reshaped Global Communication".Bitget.2025-09-01.https://www.bitget.com/news/detail/12560604944104.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Fired from Twitter, the company he founded, at age 31, he rebuilt a trillion-dollar empire 14 years later with his belief in bitcoin".Bitget.2025-09-01.https://www.bitget.com/news/detail/12560604944051.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  5. ↑ "Jack Dorsey admits a link between Twitter activity and physical danger to people".CNBC.2019-02-12.https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/12/twitter-ceo-jack-dorsey-admits-between-twitter-and-danger-to-people.html.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  6. ↑ "Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has an idealistic vision for the future of social media and is funding a small team to chase it".CNBC.2019-12-11.https://www.cnbc.com/2019/12/11/twitter-ceo-jack-dorsey-announces-bluesky-social-media-standards-push.html.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  7. ↑ "Jack Dorsey's Twitter Failed African Countries".WIRED.2021-12-03.https://www.wired.com/story/jack-dorseys-twitter-failed-african-countries/.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  8. ↑ "Former Twitter CEO Develops Bitchat, an Offline Messaging App".Tempo.co.2025-07-09.https://en.tempo.co/read/2026273/former-twitter-ceo-develops-bitchat-an-offline-messaging-app.Retrieved 2026-02-24.
  9. ↑ "Ex-Twitter CEO reacts to Uganda's claim it can block his new messaging app".Pulse Uganda.2026-01-06.https://www.pulse.ug/story/ex-twitter-ceo-reacts-to-ugandas-claim-it-can-block-his-new-messaging-app-2026010606445534155.Retrieved 2026-02-24.

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