Jack Dorsey

Jack Dorsey
Born	Jack Patrick Dorsey 19 11, 1976
Birthplace	St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Technology executive, entrepreneur
Title	Chairman and Principal Executive Officer, Block, Inc.
Known for	Co-founding Twitter and Block, Inc. (formerly Square)
Website	[https://squareup.com/ Official site]

Jack Patrick Dorsey (born November 19, 1976) is an American technology executive and entrepreneur who co-founded two major technology companies: Twitter, the social media platform that reshaped global communication, and Block, Inc. (formerly Square, Inc.), the financial services and digital payments company. Dorsey served as CEO of Twitter during two separate tenures—first from 2007 to 2008 and again from 2015 to 2021—while simultaneously guiding the growth of Square from a small mobile payment startup into a publicly traded financial technology firm. Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Dorsey developed an early interest in dispatch routing and urban infrastructure, interests that would later inform his vision for both real-time public messaging and streamlined commerce. He also founded Bluesky, a decentralized social media protocol and platform. In recent years, Dorsey has become an outspoken advocate for Bitcoin and cryptocurrency adoption, directing Block's strategic initiatives toward integrating Bitcoin into mainstream financial services.

Early Life

Jack Patrick Dorsey was born on November 19, 1976, in St. Louis, Missouri. Growing up in the St. Louis metropolitan area, Dorsey developed a fascination with cities, maps, and the logistics of urban infrastructure from a young age. He was particularly drawn to the workings of dispatch routing—the systems used by emergency services, taxi companies, and courier services to coordinate the real-time movement of vehicles and personnel across a city. This childhood interest in how information moves through urban networks would prove foundational to his later work in technology.

As a teenager, Dorsey began programming and developed software related to dispatch logistics. His early programming work focused on creating systems that could track the real-time positions and activities of dispatch vehicles, a concept that bore a conceptual resemblance to the real-time status updates that would later become the core feature of Twitter. Dorsey's interest in brevity and real-time communication was also influenced by his fascination with the concise, utilitarian nature of dispatch communications, where operators conveyed essential information in the fewest possible words.

Dorsey attended the University of Missouri–Rolla (now Missouri University of Science and Technology) before transferring to New York University. While living in New York City, he continued developing his ideas about real-time status updates and urban technology. It was during this period that Dorsey began formulating the concept that would eventually become Twitter—a platform where individuals could broadcast short status messages to a network of followers, much as a dispatch system broadcasts the status of vehicles to a central coordinator.

Career

Twitter

Dorsey co-founded Twitter in 2006, along with Biz Stone, Evan Williams, and Noah Glass. The platform was born out of a brainstorming session at Odeo, a podcasting company where Dorsey was working at the time. Dorsey's original concept—inspired by his long-standing interest in dispatch systems and real-time status updates—proposed a service that would allow users to send short text-based messages to a group, sharing what they were doing at any given moment. The name "Twitter" was chosen to evoke the image of a short burst of inconsequential information, similar to the chirps of birds.

Twitter launched publicly in July 2006 and quickly gained traction among early technology adopters. Dorsey served as the company's first chief executive officer. Under his initial leadership, the platform grew from a niche service popular among technology enthusiasts into a broader social media platform. However, Dorsey's first tenure as CEO was relatively brief. In 2008, he was moved from the CEO role to the position of chairman of the board, a transition that was reported to have resulted from concerns among the company's board of directors about operational and managerial challenges during a period of rapid growth.

Dorsey returned to the role of CEO at Twitter in 2015, taking on the unusual challenge of simultaneously running two publicly traded companies—Twitter and Square. During this second tenure, Dorsey oversaw efforts to address the platform's challenges with user growth, content moderation, and revenue generation. His dual CEO role attracted significant scrutiny from investors and media commentators, who questioned whether one individual could effectively lead two major public companies at the same time.

Dorsey stepped down as CEO of Twitter in November 2021, handing the role to Parag Agrawal. The company was subsequently acquired by Elon Musk in October 2022.

Bluesky

In addition to his work at Twitter, Dorsey initiated the development of Bluesky, a project aimed at creating a decentralized protocol for social media. Bluesky was originally conceived in 2019 as an internal initiative at Twitter, with the goal of developing an open and decentralized standard for social networking that could potentially serve as the underlying architecture for Twitter and other platforms. The project was spun off as an independent entity, Bluesky Social PBC (Public Benefit Corporation).

Bluesky developed the AT Protocol (Authenticated Transfer Protocol), a federated social networking protocol designed to give users more control over their data and online identity. The Bluesky social media application, which allows users to post short messages of up to 300 characters, launched as a public platform and has attracted millions of users. While Dorsey played a foundational role in the creation of Bluesky, the platform has since operated independently.

Square and Block, Inc.

Founding and Early Growth

Following his departure from the CEO role at Twitter in 2008, Dorsey turned his attention to a new venture in the financial technology space. He co-founded Square, Inc. in 2009 with Jim McKelvey. The company's initial product was a small, square-shaped card reader that could be plugged into the headphone jack of a smartphone, enabling small businesses, independent merchants, and individuals to accept credit card payments without the need for a traditional point-of-sale terminal. The concept addressed a significant gap in the payments market: millions of small businesses and sole proprietors were unable to accept card payments due to the cost and complexity of conventional merchant account systems.

Square's headquarters were initially located in San Francisco. The company moved its offices to the historic Chronicle Building in San Francisco's South of Market neighborhood. In 2013, Square opened new headquarters, further establishing its presence in the city's technology ecosystem.

The company grew rapidly. By 2012, Business Insider ranked Square among its "Digital 100" list of the most valuable private technology companies, valuing the company at $3.2 billion. Square expanded its product offerings beyond the original card reader to include a suite of business tools, including point-of-sale software, business analytics, payroll services, and lending products aimed at small and medium-sized businesses.

IPO and Expansion

Square filed for its initial public offering (IPO) in October 2015, at a time when Dorsey was juggling his dual role as CEO of both Square and Twitter. At the time of its IPO filing, Dorsey held a significant ownership stake in the company. The company went public on the New York Stock Exchange and subsequently grew into a major financial technology platform.

Over the following years, Square expanded into consumer-facing financial services through its Cash App, a peer-to-peer payment application that grew to rival established services in the digital payments space. Cash App became a significant revenue driver for the company, offering features including direct deposit, stock trading, and Bitcoin purchasing.

Rebranding to Block and Bitcoin Focus

In December 2021, Square, Inc. was renamed Block, Inc., reflecting the company's broadened strategic focus beyond its original square card reader. The name "Block" referenced multiple concepts central to the company's evolving identity, including building blocks, neighborhood blocks, and blockchain technology. Dorsey continued as the company's principal executive officer and chairman of the board.

Under Dorsey's leadership, Block placed increasing emphasis on Bitcoin and cryptocurrency. The company invested corporate funds in Bitcoin and developed products and services designed to facilitate Bitcoin transactions for both merchants and consumers. In 2026, Block announced features enabling small businesses to accept Bitcoin payments with zero transaction fees, a move intended to accelerate cryptocurrency adoption among mainstream merchants.

Dorsey's personal advocacy for Bitcoin has been a defining feature of his public profile in recent years. At Block's Investor Day in November 2025, the subject of whether Dorsey could be Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin, was raised—a question that Dorsey has not claimed but that has generated public speculation and debate.

2026 Layoffs and AI Strategy

In early 2026, Block underwent significant organizational changes under Dorsey's direction. In February 2026, the company laid off hundreds of employees as part of a broader restructuring that reportedly included cutting up to 10% of its workforce during annual performance reviews. The layoffs were accompanied by an aggressive push to integrate artificial intelligence throughout Block's operations, with Dorsey mandating that employees adopt AI tools as part of their daily workflows.

The combined effect of the layoffs and the AI mandates generated significant internal backlash. Reporting by WIRED described the layoffs as "rolling" in nature, with employees remaining at the company expressing uncertainty about the direction of the restructuring. Additional reporting indicated that the company was experiencing operational difficulties as it attempted to overhaul its workforce in favor of AI-driven processes.

Block was scheduled to report its fourth-quarter 2025 earnings in late February 2026, with analysts closely watching the financial impact of the restructuring and AI integration efforts.

Board Memberships

Beyond his roles at Twitter and Square/Block, Dorsey has served on several corporate and advisory boards. In December 2013, he was appointed to the board of directors of The Walt Disney Company. He departed the Disney board in January 2018. Dorsey has also served on the Berggruen Institute's Governance Center.

Personal Life

Dorsey has expressed interest in urban planning and city governance. In a 2013 interview with CNN, he discussed his desire to potentially serve as mayor of New York City, reflecting his long-standing interest in urban systems and infrastructure.

In 2019, Dorsey participated in the #TeamTrees campaign, a charitable initiative organized to raise funds for tree planting. The campaign, which was promoted by internet personality MrBeast and the Arbor Day Foundation, raised millions of dollars for reforestation efforts. Dorsey was among the prominent technology figures who contributed to and promoted the initiative.

Dorsey has been publicly associated with various wellness and lifestyle practices, including meditation and fasting, which have attracted media attention. He has spoken publicly about his interest in Bitcoin not only as a financial technology but as a philosophical and political project related to decentralization and individual sovereignty.

Recognition

Dorsey has received recognition from both the technology industry and civic institutions. In 2011, the San Francisco Business Times named him Executive of the Year, citing his work in building both Twitter and Square into significant technology companies.

Also in 2011, then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg recognized Dorsey's contributions to technology and commerce in New York City. The Office of the Mayor of New York City issued a public statement acknowledging Dorsey's work.

Dorsey's dual role as CEO of two publicly traded companies drew comparisons to other technology leaders who have managed multiple large-scale ventures simultaneously. His leadership of Twitter during its cultural and political ascendance, combined with his role in building Square into a major financial services company, established him as one of the more prominent figures in Silicon Valley during the 2010s.

In the fashion and design world, Women's Wear Daily (WWD) profiled Dorsey's efforts to simplify commerce through Square's technology, noting the platform's impact on how small businesses and independent designers process transactions.

Legacy

Jack Dorsey's influence on the technology industry rests on two distinct but related contributions: the creation of a real-time public messaging platform that altered the dynamics of global communication, media, and politics, and the development of a financial technology platform that expanded access to digital payments for small businesses and independent merchants.

Twitter, which Dorsey co-founded in 2006, became a central platform for political discourse, breaking news, and cultural conversation. The service's format of short, public messages—originally limited to 140 characters—created a new paradigm for how individuals, organizations, and governments communicated with the public. During Dorsey's tenures as CEO, Twitter grew from a startup to a publicly traded company with global reach, though the platform also faced persistent challenges related to misinformation, harassment, and content moderation.

Square, later renamed Block, addressed a fundamental problem in the payments industry by making it simple and affordable for small merchants to accept credit card payments. The company's original card reader, which plugged into a smartphone, became a ubiquitous tool at farmers' markets, food trucks, and small retail shops. The subsequent development of Cash App expanded Block's reach into consumer financial services, including peer-to-peer payments and cryptocurrency transactions.

Dorsey's more recent focus on Bitcoin and decentralized technology has positioned him as a prominent advocate for cryptocurrency adoption in mainstream commerce. His decision to rename Square to Block and to orient the company's strategy around Bitcoin and blockchain technology signals a long-term commitment to decentralized financial infrastructure. The 2026 introduction of zero-fee Bitcoin acceptance for small businesses through Block represents a continuation of Dorsey's original mission with Square: simplifying financial transactions for small-scale merchants.

The organizational challenges at Block in early 2026—including mass layoffs and the controversial mandate to integrate AI into employee workflows—illustrate the tensions inherent in rapid corporate transformation. The outcome of these initiatives will likely shape the next phase of Dorsey's legacy as a technology executive.

References

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