Drew Houston
Co-founder of Dropbox (born 1983)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Andrew W. Houston (/ˈhaʊs.tən/; born March 4, 1983) is an American Internet entrepreneur best known as the co-founder and CEO of Dropbox, an online backup and storage service. According to Forbes, his net worth is about $2 billion.[1] Houston held 24.4% of voting power in Dropbox before the company filed for IPO in February 2018.[2] He has sat on the board of Meta Platforms since February 2020.[3]
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Drew Houston | |
|---|---|
Houston in 2014 | |
| Born | March 4, 1983 |
| Education | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Known for | Co-founder, CEO and 25% owner, Dropbox |
Early life
Houston was born in Acton, Massachusetts, in 1983.[4] He attended Acton-Boxborough Regional High School in the 1990s. He later graduated with a degree in computer science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity.[5] It was there that he met Arash Ferdowsi who would later go on to be co-founder and CTO of Dropbox. During his time in college, Houston also co-founded a SAT prep company.[6]
Career
Houston and Ferdowsi co-founded Dropbox in 2007.[3] Houston currently is CEO and 25% owner of Dropbox.[1]
In February 2020, Houston joined the board of directors of Meta Platforms, replacing Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, who left in May 2019.[3][7]
In May 2026, it was announced that Houston will step down as CEO of Dropbox to become the company's executive chairman.[8] He will serve as co-CEO with Ashraf Alkarmi for a period before transitioning to the new role.[8]
Reputation
In 2008, Houston was named one of the "most promising players aged 30 and under" by Business Week,[9] and Dropbox has been touted as Y Combinator's most successful investment to date.[10] Houston was also named among the top 30 under-30 entrepreneurs by Inc.,[11][12] and Dropbox has been called one of the 20 best startups of Silicon Valley.[13] In 2013, MIT invited Houston to serve as speaker at its annual commencement ceremonies.[14]
Personal life
Houston lives in Austin, Texas.[15] He is married and has one child.
In April 2013, a lobbying group called FWD.us (aimed at lobbying for immigration reform and improvements to education) was launched, with Houston listed as one of the founders.[16]
In 2016, he endorsed Hillary Clinton in the 2016 United States presidential election.[17]