Early Life and Education of Reid Hoffman: A Complete Timeline
How education and upbringing influenced the life of Reid Hoffman. A timeline of key moments.
Reid Hoffman is an American internet entrepreneur, venture capitalist, podcaster, and author best known as the co-founder and former executive chairman of LinkedIn. He is also the chairman of Village Global, a venture capital firm, and a co-founder of Inflection AI and Manas AI. His career highlights his significant contributions to professional networking and advancements in artificial intelligence.
August 5, 1967: Reid Hoffman's Birth
On August 5, 1967, Reid Garrett Hoffman was born. He is an American internet entrepreneur, venture capitalist, podcaster, and author.
1990: Graduated from Stanford University
In 1990, Reid Hoffman graduated from Stanford University with a Bachelor of Science degree in symbolic systems and cognitive science.
1993: Earned Master's Degree from Oxford
In 1993, Reid Hoffman earned a Master of Studies (MSt) in philosophy from Wolfson College, Oxford, as a Marshall Scholar.
2004: Married Michelle Yee
In 2004, Reid Hoffman married Michelle Yee and the couple resides in Seattle, Washington.
2011: Joined Bilderberg Group
In 2011, Reid Hoffman became a member of the Bilderberg Group, marking his increasing involvement in political circles.
April 2013: Launched FWD.us
In April 2013, Hoffman was listed as one of the founders of a pro-immigration lobbying group called FWD.us.
2014: Donated to Mayday PAC and Funded Campaign
In 2014, Hoffman donated $150,000 to the Mayday PAC. Also in 2014, Hoffman contributed $500,000 toward David Chiu's State Assembly campaign.
2015: Elected to Council on Foreign Relations
In 2015, Hoffman was elected as a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
2016: Supported Matt Dunne's Campaign
In 2016, Hoffman contributed $220,000 in support of Democratic candidate for Vermont governor Matt Dunne.
2016: Created Anti-Trump Card Game
In 2016, Hoffman created a card game modeled after Cards Against Humanity intended to poke fun at US presidential candidate Donald Trump.
2017: Alabama Senate Race Incident
In 2017, the special Senate race in Alabama occurred with Hoffman's funding of disinformation tactics during the event.
2018: Gift to University of Toronto's Faculty of Information
In 2018, Hoffman made a gift to the University of Toronto's Faculty of Information to endow a chair to study the effects of AI on our lives.
2020: Argued for Making Voting Day a Holiday
In 2020, Hoffman penned a piece that argued for making Voting Day a holiday.
2021: Alloy Shuts Down
In 2021, Alloy, the company Hoffman helped fund, shut down.
October 2022: Joined Defense Innovation Board
In October 2022, Hoffman joined the Defense Innovation Board, an advisory board for the United States Department of Defense.
2022: Invested in JusticeText
In late 2022, Reid Hoffman invested in JusticeText, a platform aimed at increasing transparency around criminal matters.
May 9, 2023: Jury finds Trump liable in Carroll lawsuit
On May 9, 2023 a jury found Trump liable and awarded Carroll $5 million in damages in the lawsuit that Hoffman helped fund.
2023: Commencement Speech at Bologna Business School
In 2023, Reid Hoffman delivered the Commencement Speech at Bologna Business School, discussing the impact of AI.
June 2024: Criticized Democratic Donors
During the 2024 presidential election, Hoffman criticized Democratic donors who froze their campaign donations in the aftermath of Biden's performance at the June 2024 debate against Donald Trump.
July 2024: Investment in Smartmatic
In July 2024, the Washington Post reported that Reid Hoffman made a multimillion-dollar investment in the election technology company Smartmatic.
2024: Keynote Lecture at International Journalism Festival
In 2024, Reid Hoffman delivered a keynote lecture at the International Journalism Festival in Perugia, Italy, focusing on balancing progress and responsibility with technology.
2024: Interview with AI Deepfake
In April of 2024, Reid Hoffman was interviewed by an AI deepfake of himself, discussing AI regulation and his LinkedIn profile.
February 2025: Appointed Visiting Senior Fellow at LSE
In February 2025, Reid Hoffman was appointed a Visiting Senior Fellow at the LSE School of Public Policy, following a lecture on AI.
