Chris Hughes | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Hughes in 2009 | |
| Born | Christopher Hughes (1983-11-26)November 26, 1983 (age 41) Hickory, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Education | Harvard University (BA) The New School (MA) University of Pennsylvania |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Known for | Co-founder ofFacebook |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
Christopher Hughes (born November 26, 1983[1]) is an Americanentrepreneur and author who co-founded and served as spokesman for the online social directory and networking siteFacebook until 2007. He was the publisher and editor-in-chief ofThe New Republic from 2012 to 2016.
Hughes co-founded theEconomic Security Project (ESP) in 2016. In 2018, he publishedFair Shot: Rethinking Inequality and How We Earn.
Hughes grew up inHickory, North Carolina,[2] as the only child of Arlen "Ray" Hughes, an industrial paper salesman, and Brenda Hughes, a mathematics teacher.[3] He was raised as an evangelicalLutheran.[4] He graduated fromPhillips Academy inAndover, Massachusetts, before earning a Bachelor of Arts in History and English Literature,magna cum laude, fromHarvard College.[3][5]
In February 2020, it was reported that Hughes was in the process of earning his Master of Arts in Economics fromThe New School.[6] He has since begun aDoctor of Philosophy in business ethics and legal studies at theUniversity of Pennsylvania.[7]
Hughes is a co-founder of Facebook.[6][8][9] At Harvard, Hughes met and was recruited byMark Zuckerberg, who was still working in the early stages of the website. During their summer break in 2004, Hughes and Zuckerberg traveled toPalo Alto, California. While Zuckerberg decided to remain in Palo Alto after the break, Hughes returned to Harvard to continue his studies.[3] In 2006, after graduating from Harvard, Hughes relocated to Palo Alto to rejoin Zuckerberg and became involved in Facebook again.[citation needed]
Hughes was unofficially responsible for beta testing and product suggestions. When the group had the idea to open Facebook to other schools, Hughes argued that schools should have their networks to maintain intimacy. He was also a key driver in developing many of Facebook's popular features, which led to the opening of Facebook to the outside world.[3]
Hughes left Facebook in 2007.[6][10]
When Facebook's initial public offering took place in 2012, Hughes made $500 million.[11]
In March 2009, Hughes was namedEntrepreneur in Residence atGeneral Catalyst, aCambridge, Massachusetts,venture-capital firm.[12]
Hughes was the executive director ofJumo, a non-profit social network organization he founded in 2010, which "aims to help people find ways to help the world".[13][14] In July 2010,UNAIDS (Joint United Nations Programme onHIV/AIDS) appointed him to a 17-member "High Level Commission" of renowned politicians, business leaders, human rights activists, and scientists tasked with spearheading a "social and political action campaign over the coming year aimed at galvanizing support for effective HIV prevention programmes."[15]
In March 2012, Hughes purchased a majority stake inThe New Republic magazine. He became the publisher and executive chairman and also served as editor-in-chief of the magazine.[16] In December 2014, shortly after the magazine's centennial celebration, editorFranklin Foer and literary editorLeon Wieseltier were "driven out," and dozens of other staff and contributing editors resigned after a new chief executive,Guy Vidra, a formerYahoo! employee, described the new direction of the magazine as a "vertically integrated digital media company."[17] The magazine was forced to cancel its upcoming issue due to the staff departures.[17]
The magazine was not profitable during Hughes' tenure.[18] On January 11, 2016, Hughes putThe New Republic up for sale, saying he had "underestimated the difficulty of transitioning an old and traditional institution into a digital media company in today's quickly evolving climate."[18] Hughes' ownership ofThe New Republic was described byThe New York Times as a "vanity project."[19] He sold the magazine on February 26, 2016, to Oregon publisherWin McCormack.[20]
Hughes co-founded the Economic Security Project in 2016.[6] In 2018, he publishedFair Shot: Rethinking Inequality and How We Earn.[21]
In May 2019, he published anop-ed in theNew York Times, calling for the break-up of Facebook and government regulation of content on it;[22] in June of the same year, he criticized the Facebook decision to launchLibra (which was later renamedDiem), saying that the cryptocurrency "would shift power into the wrong hands if, at least, the coin be modestly successful".[23]
After leaving Facebook, Hughes volunteered forBarack Obama's2008 presidential campaign.[6][10]
Hughes and Sean Eldridge bought a $2 million residence inNew York's 19th congressional district with the reported purpose of permitting Eldridge to run for the congressional seat there.[24] In 2014, Eldridge lost hiscongressional bid by 29 points.[25]
Hughes endorsed Democratic candidateHillary Clinton in the run-up for the 2016 U.S. presidential election.[26]
Hughes is gay and is married toSean Eldridge.[27] Hughes and Eldridge announced their engagement in January 2011 at a reception supporting Freedom to Marry. They married on June 30, 2012.[28][5]
Hughes was portrayed by actorPatrick Mapel in the 2010 filmThe Social Network.[29][unreliable source?]
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