Reid Hoffman

Reid Hoffman
Born	Reid Garrett Hoffman 5 8, 1967
Birthplace	Palo Alto, California, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Entrepreneur, venture capitalist, author, podcaster
Known for	Co-founding LinkedIn, partner at Greylock Partners, co-founding Inflection AI
Education	Stanford University (BS) Wolfson College, Oxford (MSt)
Awards	Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year (2011)

Reid Garrett Hoffman (born August 5, 1967) is an American Internet entrepreneur, venture capitalist, podcaster, and author. He is best known as the co-founder and former executive chairman of LinkedIn, the professional networking platform that grew into one of the largest business-oriented social networks in the world before its acquisition by Microsoft. Beyond LinkedIn, Hoffman built a prominent career in venture capital as a partner at Greylock Partners, where he backed numerous technology companies during formative stages of growth. He is also a co-founder of Inflection AI and Manas AI, and serves on the boards of Microsoft and the Arc Institute. Hoffman has been an active voice in American public life, contributing to political campaigns and organizations, and writing extensively on topics at the intersection of technology, entrepreneurship, and society. His career, which began in Silicon Valley in the mid-1990s, has spanned the founding era of major Internet companies, the rise of social networking, and the emergence of artificial intelligence as a transformative force.

Early Life

Reid Garrett Hoffman was born on August 5, 1967, in Palo Alto, California, a city situated in the heart of what would become known as Silicon Valley. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area placed Hoffman in proximity to the burgeoning technology industry that would later define his professional life. Details about his parents and family background are limited in publicly available records, though his upbringing in one of the most technology-rich regions of the United States provided early exposure to the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship.

Hoffman developed intellectual interests from a young age that would later inform his multifaceted career. He was drawn to questions about how human societies function, how networks form, and how individuals can create large-scale impact — themes that would recur throughout his career as an entrepreneur, investor, and author. His early intellectual development was shaped by the unique environment of the Bay Area during the 1970s and 1980s, a period during which the personal computing revolution was taking root in the garages and offices surrounding Stanford University and its affiliated research institutions.

Education

Hoffman pursued his undergraduate studies at Stanford University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree. Stanford, with its deep connections to Silicon Valley and its tradition of fostering entrepreneurship among its students and faculty, provided Hoffman with both an academic foundation and a network of peers who would go on to become influential figures in the technology industry.

Following his time at Stanford, Hoffman crossed the Atlantic to study at Wolfson College at the University of Oxford, where he earned a Master of Studies (MSt) degree. His studies at Oxford reflected his interest in intellectual inquiry beyond the purely technical, encompassing philosophy and broader humanistic questions. This combination of a Stanford engineering education and an Oxford humanities background gave Hoffman an unusual intellectual profile among Silicon Valley entrepreneurs — one that blended technological fluency with a deep interest in human systems and social structures. Hoffman has credited his time at Oxford with shaping his thinking about how societies and networks operate, themes that would later become central to both LinkedIn and his writing.

Career

Early Career and Silicon Valley Beginnings

After completing his education at Oxford, Hoffman returned to Silicon Valley and entered the technology industry during the mid-1990s, a period of explosive growth driven by the commercialization of the Internet. He joined Apple Computer, where he gained early experience in the technology sector. Hoffman then moved to Fujitsu, further broadening his understanding of the technology business.

In 1997, Hoffman co-founded SocialNet.com, one of the early online social networking services. SocialNet was designed to connect people for dating, professional networking, and shared activities. Though SocialNet did not achieve widespread commercial success, the experience proved formative for Hoffman, providing him with direct knowledge of the challenges and opportunities inherent in building online social platforms. The lessons learned at SocialNet would directly inform his later, more successful venture with LinkedIn.

During this period, Hoffman also became involved with PayPal, the online payment company that became one of the most significant startups of the late 1990s and early 2000s. He served on PayPal's board of directors and was part of its executive team. PayPal's founding group, which included figures such as Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, and Max Levchin, became known as the "PayPal Mafia" due to the subsequent success of its members in founding and funding numerous other technology companies. Hoffman's involvement with PayPal connected him to a network of entrepreneurs and investors who would become central figures in Silicon Valley for decades.

Founding LinkedIn

In December 2002, Hoffman co-founded LinkedIn, a professional networking platform, along with Allen Blue, Konstantin Guericke, Eric Ly, and Jean-Luc Vaillant. The site officially launched on May 5, 2003. LinkedIn was built on the premise that professional relationships and networks could be managed, cultivated, and leveraged through an online platform — an idea that drew directly on Hoffman's earlier experience with SocialNet.com and his broader intellectual interest in the power of human networks.

LinkedIn grew steadily in the years following its launch, distinguishing itself from other social networking platforms of the era — such as Friendster and later MySpace and Facebook — by focusing exclusively on professional relationships rather than personal social connections. The platform allowed users to create professional profiles, connect with colleagues and industry contacts, search for jobs, and recruit talent. This focus on the professional sphere gave LinkedIn a distinct value proposition and a revenue model built around recruitment services, premium subscriptions, and advertising.

Hoffman served as LinkedIn's chief executive officer during its early years before transitioning to the role of executive chairman, a position that allowed him to focus on the company's long-term strategic direction while day-to-day operations were managed by other executives. Under Hoffman's leadership and strategic guidance, LinkedIn expanded its user base from a small network of Silicon Valley professionals to a global platform with hundreds of millions of members across virtually every industry and country.

LinkedIn went public in May 2011, and its initial public offering was one of the most closely watched technology IPOs of that year. The company's stock price surged on its first day of trading, reflecting strong investor confidence in the platform's growth potential and business model.

In 2016, Microsoft announced its acquisition of LinkedIn for approximately $26.2 billion, one of the largest technology acquisitions in history at that time. The deal underscored the value of the professional networking platform that Hoffman had co-founded more than a decade earlier. Following the acquisition, Hoffman joined the Microsoft board of directors, a position he continues to hold.

Venture Capital: Greylock Partners

In 2009, Hoffman joined Greylock Partners, a prominent Silicon Valley venture capital firm, as a partner. At Greylock, Hoffman invested in a range of technology companies, leveraging his experience as a founder and operator to identify and support promising startups. His investment portfolio at Greylock included stakes in companies across social media, enterprise software, consumer Internet, and other technology sectors.

Hoffman's dual perspective — as both a successful entrepreneur and an active investor — gave him a distinctive position in the venture capital industry. He was able to draw on his firsthand experience building LinkedIn and his earlier work at PayPal and SocialNet to advise founders on the challenges of scaling technology businesses. Forbes included Hoffman on its Midas List of top technology investors, recognizing his track record in venture capital.

In addition to his work at Greylock, Hoffman is the chairman of Village Global, a venture capital firm that operates a network-driven model connecting founders with experienced entrepreneurs and investors.

Artificial Intelligence Ventures

In more recent years, Hoffman has turned significant attention to the field of artificial intelligence. He co-founded Inflection AI, a company focused on developing AI systems for personal and professional use. Inflection AI attracted considerable attention and investment as part of the broader wave of AI development that accelerated in the early 2020s.

Hoffman also co-founded Manas AI, another venture in the AI space, and serves as a board member at the Arc Institute, a research organization. These activities reflect Hoffman's ongoing engagement with emerging technologies and his interest in shaping how artificial intelligence is developed and deployed.

Writing and Media

Hoffman has been a prolific writer and public commentator on topics related to entrepreneurship, technology, and society. In 2012, he co-authored The Start-up of You: Adapt to the Future, Invest in Yourself, and Transform Your Career with Ben Casnocha. The book, which applied entrepreneurial thinking to individual career development, appeared on The New York Times Best Sellers list. The book argued that in a rapidly changing economy, individuals should approach their careers with the same mindset that entrepreneurs apply to building businesses — embracing risk, building networks, and adapting to new opportunities.

Hoffman has also hosted podcasts and contributed to public discourse through columns, essays, and speaking engagements. He has maintained a presence on LinkedIn's publishing platform, where he has written on a range of topics including technology policy, the future of work, and the societal implications of artificial intelligence.

The Wall Street Journal has covered Hoffman's career and ideas extensively.

Political Engagement and Public Advocacy

Hoffman has been an active participant in American political life. He has contributed to various political campaigns and organizations, and has been a significant donor to causes aligned with the Democratic Party. He was among the top donors to Mayday PAC, a political action committee focused on campaign finance reform.

In 2014, Hoffman was named as an inaugural member of the President's Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker.

Hoffman has been a member of the Bilderberg Group, attending its meetings since at least 2011. He has also been a member of the Council on Foreign Relations since 2015.

In January 2026, Hoffman publicly urged Silicon Valley leaders to resist political pressure from the administration of President Donald Trump, writing an opinion piece arguing that the technology industry could not remain neutral in the face of political developments. His essay, published by The San Francisco Standard, called on tech leaders to defend democratic institutions. The piece drew significant coverage, including from TechCrunch, which reported on Hoffman's call for tech leaders to "stop bending the knee" to the president. Hoffman was also among technology leaders who spoke out following killings in Minneapolis, at a time when many prominent CEOs remained silent.

Jeffrey Epstein Controversy

Hoffman's name has appeared in public records and media reports related to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. In January 2026, documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice included emails between Hoffman and Epstein. The New York Post reported that the released documents showed email correspondence between the two men. Separately, the New York Post reported on a 2015 email in which Epstein described a dinner with Mark Zuckerberg and Hoffman as "wild." CNBC and Mashable reported that the Epstein files revealed connections between the late financier and multiple Silicon Valley figures, including Hoffman. Hoffman had previously acknowledged meeting Epstein and expressed regret for the association.

Personal Life

Hoffman resides in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has been active in philanthropic efforts, though detailed information about his personal philanthropy from the provided sources is limited. His public statements and writings have reflected an interest in humanism and the responsible development of technology, themes that recur in his books, essays, and public appearances.

Hoffman's involvement with the Bilderberg Group and the Council on Foreign Relations reflects his engagement with international policy discussions beyond the technology sector.

Recognition

Hoffman has received numerous awards and honors recognizing his contributions to entrepreneurship and business.

In 2011, he was named Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young.

In 2012, the World Affairs Council honored Hoffman at its annual awards dinner, recognizing his global impact through technology and business. That same year, Hoffman was recognized by the King Center as part of its 2012 Martin Luther King Jr. holiday observance.

Babson College awarded Hoffman an honorary degree, recognizing his contributions to entrepreneurship and business education.

The Commonwealth Club of California also recognized Hoffman at its annual dinner.

Forbes has consistently included Hoffman in its various rankings, including the Midas List of top technology investors.

Legacy

Reid Hoffman's career has been intertwined with several of the most significant developments in the technology industry over a span of more than two decades. As a co-founder of LinkedIn, he helped establish professional networking as a distinct category of social media, creating a platform that fundamentally changed how professionals manage their careers, how companies recruit talent, and how business relationships are formed and maintained. LinkedIn's growth from a startup in 2003 to a platform acquired by Microsoft for over $26 billion in 2016 stands as one of the notable success stories of the Web 2.0 era.

Through his work at Greylock Partners and Village Global, Hoffman has influenced the trajectory of numerous technology companies as an investor and advisor. His involvement with PayPal in its early days connected him to a generation of founders and executives who went on to build some of the most consequential technology companies of the 21st century.

Hoffman's writing, including The Start-up of You, contributed to a body of literature that framed entrepreneurial thinking as applicable to individual career development, not just business creation. His public commentary on the relationship between technology and society has addressed questions about the responsibilities of technology companies and their leaders in democratic societies — themes that have become increasingly prominent in public discourse.

His more recent work in artificial intelligence, through Inflection AI and Manas AI, positions Hoffman at the center of debates about the development and governance of AI systems, a field that is expected to have far-reaching implications for the global economy and society.