Evan Spiegel is living a charmed life. The 26-year-old’s company, Snapchat, went public this week at a $33 billion valuation. He has a net worth of $5 billion, making him one of the youngest billionaires in the entire world. Moreover, he is engaged to Victoria’s Secret model Miranda Kerr, and it seems like things can’t get any better for the young tycoon.
Though Spiegel co-created the social media app with his frat brothers Bobby Murphy and Reggie Brown, very little is known about the Snapchat CEO as he is notoriously private, according to CNBC. But now that he is in the public eye, many are curious about the self-made billionaire, and how he has become the man he is today.
Here’s everything you need to know about Evan Spiegel.
He comes from a well-off family
Spiegel is the son of two successful lawyers and he grew up in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles. His early years were spent at an exclusive school called Crossroads in Santa Monica, which costs tens of thousands per academic year, according to Business Insider. At 16, he was given a Cadillac Escalade by his parents.
It was said that the Spiegels often traveled to Europe and employed a full-time housekeeper. They even went snowboarding by helicopter in Canada.
He made a budget to prove that he needed a monthly allowance of $2,000 when he was in high school
In a document that was procured by CNBC, it shows that Spiegel listed car-related expenses worth $642, food related expenses totaling $800, entertainment-related expenses worth $200, and clothing budget of $350 to convince his parents that he needed an allowance of $2,000 a month.
He dropped out of Stanford University
Spiegel dropped out of Stanford to work on Snapchat full time. The app’s predecessor, Picaboo, was created in 2012. Picaboo is a photo sharing app that deletes images within 10 seconds of being viewed. The app wasn’t a success, but Spiegel and his friends persevered and they were able to create Snapchat.
He employed the set designer of “Friends” to redecorate his house
According to Digital Spy, Spiegel got “Friends” set designer Greg Grande to work on his father’s house after he was given permission to redecorate the place following his parents’ divorce.
For more, check out Jobs & Hire’s report on what Bill Gates would say to his 19-year-old self.
