15 Deals That Made Billionaires

They say that if you want to go fast, you should go alone. But if you want to go far, you should pick some great partners to share the journey with. The people on this list made insane fortunes because they chose the latter, and in this video you'll learn precisely how they did it. Here are 15 deals that made billionaires.

Welcome to a lux. First up, we've got Bill Gates and Paul Allen. In the pages of entrepreneurial partnerships, the alliance of Bill Gates and Paul Allen stands as a prime example of successful collaboration. This dynamic duo met as students at Lakeside School in Seattle and they established Microsoft in 1975. Gates, known for his strategic acumen, and Allen, the innovative thinker with a knack for technology, pooled their strengths to foster the growth of a company that would revolutionize the personal computing landscape.

The alliance was based on a shared vision to put computers on every desk in every home, a goal that seemed absolutely fantastical in the era of mainframe computing. Microsoft's breakthrough came with the deal to license MS-DOS to IBM in 1981, a deal that catapulted the company to industry dominance. Gates and Allen's partnership was not without its trials and tribulations, though. Allen left the company in 1983 after being diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease, but remained on the board of directors until 2000. Despite this, their combined efforts resulted in a technological empire that's made both of them billionaires and has etched their names in the Hall of Fame of the most influential figures in tech.

Larry Page and Sergey Brin is another iconic partnership that has significantly impacted the technological and information era. They are the co-founders of Google. As Stanford University graduate students, they collaborated on a research project aimed at organizing the world's information. This project morphed into Google, a company that would redefine the way that people access and utilize information on the internet.

The partnership was characterized by a harmonious blend of Page's vision for large-scale technology solutions and Brin's creativity and passion for data mining. The duo's innovative approach to search algorithms, embodied in Google's PageRank system, revolutionized internet browsing. Their entrepreneurial partnership extended beyond technology, as they jointly led Google's meteoric rise to become one of the world's most influential tech companies. In 2004, when Google went public, the partners became billionaires, their wealth soaring alongside the company's stock price. Although they've since stepped back from daily operations, their legacies remain firmly etched in the company's DNA and in its mission to organize the world's information and to make it universally accessible and useful.

Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne had a partnership that led to the creation of one of the most influential tech companies of the 21st century: Apple Inc. Jobs and Wozniak, two high school friends with a shared passion for technology and innovation, joined forces with Wayne, a mutual acquaintance, to establish Apple in 1976. While Jobs provided the strategic vision and marketing prowess, Wozniak brought the technological know-how, and Wayne contributed his administrative expertise.

Apple's first breakthrough came with the Apple II, a personal computer that popularized the notion of a PC for ordinary consumers. But the partnership faced its own set of challenges. Wayne sold his stake just weeks after the company's formation, and Jobs was ousted from Apple in the 1980s. However, Jobs returned to the company in the late 90s, and the launch of innovative products like the iMac, iPod, iPhone, and then the iPad solidified Apple's position in tech history. The successful partnership between Jobs and Wozniak in particular not only made them billionaires, but also helped to shape the trajectory of personal computing and consumer electronics.

Larry Ellison, Bob Miner, and Ed Oates are the three visionaries who have carved an incredible mark on the world of enterprise software through the creation of Oracle Corporation. Founded in 1977, Oracle was the result of a grand vision shared by Ellison, Miner, and Oates aimed at creating a comprehensive suite of software services for businesses. Larry Ellison, serving as the company's CEO for several decades, has been the most public face of the trio, often in the limelight for his competitive spirit and flamboyant style.

Oracle, under the leadership of these three, has grown exponentially, becoming a significant player in the global IT industry. Their success is largely attributable to the wide adoption of Oracle's relational database product, which set the standard for data management. Even today, Oracle's solutions remain central to many organizations' IT infrastructures worldwide. This successful partnership among Ellison, Miner, and Oates has not only revolutionized the way businesses operate but also led them to personal wealth, making Ellison one of the world's wealthiest individuals.

Henry Ford and Alexander Malcolmson's tale is an integral part of automotive history. The pair embarked on their business journey together in 1902, founding Ford and Malcolmson Limited, a precursor to what we now recognize as the colossal Ford Motor Company. The partnership was primarily driven by Ford's ingenious engineering skills and Malcolmson's entrepreneurial spirit and capital.

The duo confronted significant financial hurdles initially, but their persistent determination to innovate revolutionized the automobile industry. Their story is a testament to the strength of a strategic alliance and the power of a shared vision. Ford and Malcolmson introduced the world to the Model T car back in 1908, and in doing so, they not only unlocked unprecedented wealth but also laid the foundation for the modern automotive industry. Ford's innovative assembly line drastically reduced the cost of production, making cars accessible to the masses. Although Malcolmson eventually exited the company, both he and Ford were able to amass considerable wealth during their joint venture.

In 1939, with just $538 in capital, Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard founded Hewlett-Packard in a small garage in Palo Alto, California, a place that many now consider to be the birthplace of Silicon Valley. Their first product, an audio oscillator, was an immediate hit, with Walt Disney being one of their first clients. Over the years, their partnership fostered a company that would transform into a tech giant, diversifying into a wide range of products including computers, printers, and software.

Hewlett and Packard's partnership was notable for their management style. They pioneered the "HP Way," a set of values and guidelines that focused on respect for employees, flexible work hours, and a commitment to product quality. This innovative corporate culture was way ahead of its time, inspiring countless other tech companies and contributing to the unique ethos of Silicon Valley. Both Hewlett and Packard amassed considerable wealth through their venture, leaving lasting legacies as tech pioneers. Their partnership serves as a potent reminder of how a shared vision, innovation, and principled leadership can lead to remarkable success.

In the year 2011, two Stanford University students, Evan Spiegel and Bobby Murphy, embarked on a partnership that would change the landscape of social media. Together, they developed a concept for a photo sharing app where the images would disappear after being viewed, a stark contrast to the permanent nature of most social media posts. The innovative idea was met with initial resistance, but Spiegel and Murphy were undeterred.

Their creation, Snapchat, allowed users to share fleeting moments of their lives, fostering a sense of authenticity that resonated with a younger audience. Snapchat's success didn't happen overnight, but Spiegel and Murphy's steadfast belief in their product paid off handsomely. By 2012, less than a year after their launch, the app was processing over 20 million photos a day. Today, with over 350 million active users, Snapchat is one of the most popular social media platforms worldwide. The platform's success has catapulted Spiegel and Murphy into the elite club of tech billionaires, demonstrating the immense value of a truly innovative idea and the determination to bring it to fruition.

In 1994, electrical engineering graduate students Jerry Yang and David Philo created a website called Jerry and David's Guide to the World Wide Web just as a hobby. The website was a directory of other websites organized in a hierarchy, as opposed to a searchable index of pages. Seeing the potential of their creation, Yang and Philo co-founded Yahoo, a web service provider that would become one of the pillars of the early internet. Yahoo, an acronym for "Yet Another Hierarchically Organized Oracle," became the front door to the internet for millions of users in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Its suite of web services, including email, search, and news, made it a leader in the digital world. Despite the intense competition and the company's eventual decline, Yahoo stands as a testament to the pioneering spirit of Yang and Philo. Their partnership led to a tech company that, at its peak, was worth over $125 billion, making both Yang and Philo billionaires themselves.

Back in 1984, childhood friends Mike Lazaridis and Douglas Fregin co-founded Research In Motion, or RIM, with an initial investment of just $15,000. The Canadian duo initially focused on developing technology for film editing and wireless data transmission, long before the era of smartphones. However, it was their venture into mobile communications that would make them billionaires. In 1999, RIM introduced the BlackBerry, a pager-like device that was one of the first to integrate email and data services.

The BlackBerry soon evolved into a full-fledged smartphone and became the device of choice for business professionals worldwide. At its peak, RIM commanded over half of the U.S. smartphone market. Although the company, now known as BlackBerry Limited, has since lost its dominant position due to competition from Apple and Android devices, the partnership between Lazaridis and Fregin brought about a revolution in mobile communications as a whole.

In 2008, the world saw the emergence of a disruptive startup named Airbnb, founded by Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia, and Nathan Blanchard. These three visionary individuals managed to take a simple idea of renting out an air mattress in their living room to turn it into a global phenomenon. Chesky and Gebbia, both graduates of the Rhode Island School of Design, initially created the concept as a means to offset the high rent in San Francisco, whereas Blanchard, a Harvard University graduate and a seasoned engineer, came on board to lead the technical side.

Their partnership proved to be extremely fruitful, as Airbnb disrupted the hospitality industry by providing a platform for people to rent out their homes to travelers. With Chesky as the CEO, Gebbia focusing on the design, and Blanchard overseeing the technical aspects, the trio's complementary skill set set the stage for Airbnb's rapid growth. Following several rounds of funding and explosive growth, their innovative idea coupled with a keen business sense catapulted all three founders into the billionaire club.

Pierre Omidyar and Jeff Skoll, the driving forces behind eBay, dramatically transformed the landscape of e-commerce. Omidyar, a computer programmer, launched AuctionWeb, the precursor to eBay, as a hobby project back in 1995. It was an innovative platform where individuals could participate in auctions for a wide array of items. Recognizing the potential of the platform, Omidyar brought on board Skoll, an MBA from Stanford, as the full-time employee and president to manage and strategize the company's growth.

Their partnership proved to be dynamic and profitable, with Omidyar as the visionary technologist and Skoll as the strategic entrepreneur, driving eBay to its current status as a global e-commerce powerhouse. Skoll was instrumental in shaping eBay's philanthropic side, establishing the eBay Foundation. Their hard work and vision helped eBay to grow at an unprecedented rate. The company's successful IPO in 1998 turned Omidyar and Skoll into billionaires, marking a significant milestone in the history of e-commerce.

In 2009, two former Yahoo employees, Jan Koum and Brian Acton, decided to embark on a new venture together. They founded WhatsApp, a messaging app that was simple, fast, and free. The idea was born out of Koum's frustration with missing calls and messages while he was at the gym, so they designed an app to display statuses next to an individual's name in the user's network, such as "battery about to die" or "at the gym."

The app quickly gained popularity due to its simplicity, seamless functionality, and commitment to user privacy. Within a few years of its launch, WhatsApp had hundreds of millions of users worldwide. This rapid growth caught the attention of Facebook, which acquired WhatsApp for $19 billion back in 2014, one of the largest tech acquisitions to date. This monumental deal not only solidified WhatsApp's place in the tech world but also turned Koum and Acton into billionaires.

Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim, three former PayPal employees, co-founded YouTube. This video sharing platform has revolutionized how people consume digital content, like this video you're watching right now. This trio identified a gap in the market where the platform for uploading and sharing video content was severely lacking. The venture was nothing short of transformative, offering users an unprecedented opportunity to create, share, and view various video content—from home videos and vlogs to music videos and news clips.

The popularity of YouTube surged, and its user base expanded rapidly. In November 2006, just a year after YouTube's creation, Google acquired the platform for a staggering $1.65 billion in stock. This deal was monumental, marking one of the largest tech acquisitions at the time. It not only validated the potential of user-generated content, but it also led to the creation of new billionaires. Hurley, Chan's success story illustrates how innovative digital platforms can disrupt traditional media landscapes and create enormous wealth.

In 2007, Andrew Houston and Arash Ferdowsi co-founded Dropbox, a cloud-based file hosting service that would go on to change how individuals and organizations store and share files, revolutionizing the limitations of physical storage devices and the need for easy access to files from multiple locations. Houston and Ferdowsi embarked on a journey to create Dropbox. The platform enabled users to upload and sync their files across devices, providing secure and convenient digital storage solutions.

The company's success culminated in its IPO in 2018, which further boosted the co-founders' wealth, solidifying their status as billionaires. The Dropbox founders' story demonstrates the potential of technology to improve daily life efficiencies and the vast fortunes that can be built in the digital era. Their journey offers a case study in identifying consumer pain points and creating a solution that caters to the global market.

And last but not least, Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon co-founded Spotify, a music streaming service in 2006, forever changing how people around the world would access and enjoy music. Their shared vision to combat music piracy while providing an engaging platform for users led to the creation of Spotify. The company transformed the music industry by offering a vast library of songs to stream on demand, making music more accessible and affordable.

Spotify's public listing in 2018 was unconventional, as it was a direct listing, meaning that no new shares were issued or underwritten. Instead, existing shares were sold directly to the public. Despite the non-traditional approach, the listing was successful, valuing the company at nearly $30 billion on its first day of trading. The listing elevated Ek and Lorentzon to billionaire status. The success of Spotify demonstrates the power of innovation in transforming industries and illustrates how disrupting traditional models can generate remarkable wealth.

And there you have it. These are the 15 historic deals that made billionaires. Now we're curious to ask: If you could take part in any of these deals, which one would you pick? Drop your answer in the comments below. We're always curious to hear your thoughts.

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