Career Timeline of Chris Hughes: Major Achievements and Milestones

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: August 6, 2025

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Chris Hughes made an impact.

Chris Hughes is an American entrepreneur best known as a co-founder of Facebook, where he also acted as a spokesperson until 2007. Later in his career, Hughes ventured into media, serving as the publisher and editor-in-chief of The New Republic from 2012 to 2016.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

2004: Travels to Palo Alto with Mark Zuckerberg

During the summer break of 2004, Chris Hughes and Mark Zuckerberg traveled to Palo Alto, California to work on Facebook.

2006: Relocates to Palo Alto to rejoin Facebook

In 2006, after graduating from Harvard, Chris Hughes relocated to Palo Alto to rejoin Mark Zuckerberg and became involved in Facebook again.

2007: Leaves Facebook

In 2007, Chris Hughes ceased working at Facebook, the online social directory and networking site he co-founded.

2008: Volunteers for Barack Obama's presidential campaign

After leaving Facebook, in 2008, Chris Hughes volunteered for Barack Obama's presidential campaign.

March 2009: Named Entrepreneur in Residence at General Catalyst

In March 2009, Chris Hughes was named Entrepreneur in Residence at General Catalyst, a venture-capital firm in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

July 2010: Appointed to UNAIDS "High Level Commission"

In July 2010, UNAIDS (Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS) appointed Chris Hughes to a 17-member "High Level Commission" tasked with spearheading a social and political action campaign for effective HIV prevention programs.

March 2012: Purchases majority stake in The New Republic magazine

In March 2012, Chris Hughes purchased a majority stake in The New Republic magazine, becoming the publisher and executive chairman.

2012: Becomes Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of The New Republic

In 2012, Chris Hughes became the publisher and editor-in-chief of The New Republic.

2012: Makes $500 million from Facebook IPO

In 2012, Chris Hughes made $500 million when Facebook's initial public offering took place.

January 11, 2016: Puts The New Republic up for sale

On January 11, 2016, Chris Hughes put The New Republic up for sale, citing the difficulty of transitioning the institution into a digital media company.