Herbert Keyshawn Jones (born October 6, 1998) is an American professional basketball player for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
How did Brian Chesky create Airbnb?
He and cofounder Joe Gebbia had the idea for Airbnb in 2007: When a design conference came to town and all the hotels were booked up, they decided to rent out their apartment for those who needed a place to stay. Airbnb, then called Airbedandbreakfast.com, officially launched in August 2008.
The now-38-year-old CEO majored in industrial design in college and dabbled in hockey and bodybuilding in his 20s. But now, he’s grown an idea that stemmed from overbooked hotels into a multi-billion-dollar startup and has become one of Silicon Valley’s key players.
On Thursday, Airbnb announced it was planning to go public in 2020, the latest step for a company last valued at $31 billion.
In a 2014 Fast Company profile, Chesky is described as an imposing figure: “A former hockey player and bodybuilder with 16-inch biceps, the CEO commands attention. His boomerang grin and slant nose work to sharply focus his attention on you. Rather than turn his head toward me, he physically picks up his chair and pivots it directly so we’re eye to eye.”