Daniel Stewart Butterfield, born Dharma Jeremy Butterfield on March 21, 1973, is a Canadian billionaire businessman. He is best known for co-founding two influential tech platforms: the photo-sharing website Flickr and the team-messaging application Slack.
Butterfield played a pivotal role in transforming digital communication and collaborative tools for both casual users and workplaces. His innovations have left a lasting impact on the tech industry, earning him global recognition and considerable wealth. Butterfield’s work continues to influence modern software development and communication systems.
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Stewart Butterfield Net Worth
Stewart Butterfield has a net worth of $1.6 billion. He co-founded Ludicorp with Caterina Fake and Jason Classon in 2002, creating Game Neverending before pivoting to Flickr, a photo-sharing site acquired by Yahoo! in 2005, where Butterfield was General Manager until 2008.
In 2009, he co-founded Tiny Speck and launched the game Glitch in 2011, later closed due to low audience. In 2013, he announced Slack, a team communication tool, publicly released in 2014, quickly growing to millions of daily users.
Early life
Daniel Stewart Butterfield was born in 1973 in Lund, British Columbia, to Norma and David Butterfield. He spent his early years in a log cabin on a commune, after his father fled the U.S. draft during the Vietnam War.
At age five, the family moved to Victoria, where Butterfield taught himself coding and changed his name to Stewart at 12. He attended St. Michaels University School, earned a B.A. in philosophy from the University of Victoria, and a Master’s from Clare College, Cambridge, focusing on 19th-century scientific thinkers.
Career
In 2000, Stewart Butterfield and Jason Classon co-founded Gradfinder.com. After its acquisition, Butterfield worked as a freelance web designer and launched the 5K competition, focused on creating websites under 5 kilobytes.
In 2002, Butterfield co-founded Ludicorp with Caterina Fake and Jason Classon in Vancouver. They initially built the game Game Neverending, which failed to launch. They then created Flickr, a photo-sharing website. In March 2005, Yahoo! acquired Ludicorp, and Butterfield became General Manager of Flickr until leaving Yahoo! on July 12, 2008.
Personal life
Stewart Butterfield was married to Caterina Fake, his Flickr co-founder, from 2001 to 2007. They have one child, born in 2007. In May 2019, Butterfield became engaged to Jennifer Rubio, co-founder of Away Luggage. On April 21, 2024, his 16-year-old child was reported missing, believed to have run away.
On April 29, the child was found alive, and a 26-year-old man was arrested for abduction. The incident received widespread attention due to Butterfield’s public profile and the seriousness of the kidnapping case.
What Does Slack Stand For?
Slack stands for “Searchable Log of All Communication and Knowledge,” reflecting its utility as a comprehensive platform for team communication and information sharing.
Conclusion
Stewart Butterfield’s journey from a rustic upbringing to tech billionaire is a narrative of innovation, resilience, and strategic foresight. His contributions to the tech world, especially through Flickr and Slack, have indelibly shaped how we share images and collaborate across teams.
FAQs about Stewart Butterfield
- What inspired Stewart Butterfield to create Slack? Slack was born out of the necessity for an effective team communication tool during the development of the game Glitch by Tiny Speck, Butterfield’s company.
- Has Stewart Butterfield received any notable awards? Yes, he’s been recognized as one of the top innovators under 35 by MIT Technology Review, among other accolades like being named in the Time 100 list.
- What led to Stewart Butterfield’s departure from Slack? Butterfield announced his departure as CEO of Slack in December 2022, transitioning away from the role early in January 2023, after successfully leading the company through significant growth and its acquisition by Salesforce.
- How did Stewart Butterfield become a billionaire? Butterfield’s wealth is largely attributed to his successful entrepreneurship in founding Flickr and Slack, with the latter’s IPO and subsequent acquisition by Salesforce significantly boosting his net worth.
- What are Stewart Butterfield’s future plans after Slack? While specific future endeavors have not been publicly disclosed, Butterfield’s track record suggests he will continue to innovate and potentially embark on new tech ventures.
