Evan Williams Net Worth

What is Evan Williams' Net Worth and Salary?

Evan Williams is an American internet entrepreneur who has a net worth of $2 billion. Evan Williams is a visionary internet entrepreneur who has fundamentally shaped how people publish and share information online. Most prominently known as a co-founder of Twitter, Williams has built a remarkable career creating platforms that democratize publishing and amplify individual voices. His entrepreneurial journey includes founding Blogger (one of the first user-friendly blogging platforms), co-creating Twitter (which revolutionized real-time communication), and launching Medium (which reimagined digital publishing for thoughtful, long-form content). Throughout his career, Williams has demonstrated an uncanny ability to identify gaps in online communication and build accessible tools that enable self-expression. His Nebraska farm roots and focus on simplicity in design have informed platforms used by hundreds of millions of people worldwide, making him one of the most influential architects of the social internet.

Early Life and Beginnings

Born in 1972 and raised on a farm in Clarks, Nebraska, Evan Williams' background stands in stark contrast to the Silicon Valley environment where he would later thrive. Growing up in a rural setting, Williams developed a strong work ethic and practical approach to problem-solving that would serve him well in his future endeavors.

After briefly attending the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Williams decided to forge his own path without completing a college degree. He worked various jobs, including at a tech support company in Texas, before moving to California in the late 1990s during the first dot-com boom.

Pyra Labs and the Birth of Blogger

Williams' first major entrepreneurial success came with the founding of Pyra Labs in 1999. Initially conceived as a project management tool, the company pivoted when Williams and his team developed Blogger, a side project that would become one of the internet's first widely adopted blogging platforms.

Blogger's significance cannot be overstated—it democratized web publishing by allowing anyone to create and maintain a blog without needing technical expertise or their own server. This philosophy of making publishing accessible would become a recurring theme throughout Williams' career.

Despite facing financial challenges during the dot-com crash, Williams persevered, sometimes working without pay and keeping the platform running with minimal resources. His dedication paid off when Google acquired Pyra Labs in 2003, bringing Williams into the tech giant as a product team member.

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Twitter Revolution

After leaving Google in 2004, Williams co-founded Odeo, a podcast publishing platform. When Apple announced its own podcast service, threatening Odeo's business model, Williams encouraged his team to explore new ideas. During an Odeo hackathon, Jack Dorsey pitched the concept of a status-updating service, which would evolve into Twitter.

Williams, along with Dorsey and Biz Stone, launched Twitter in 2006. As the company's largest shareholder and primary investor in its early days, Williams played a crucial role in Twitter's development. He served as CEO from 2008 to 2010, during a period of explosive growth that saw Twitter evolve from a curious experiment to a global communication platform.

Under Williams' leadership, Twitter refined its core functionality and navigated the challenges of rapid scaling. His commitment to simplicity in design helped maintain Twitter's accessibility even as its user base and influence expanded dramatically. During his tenure, Twitter established itself as a powerful tool for real-time news, social movements, and celebrity engagement.

Evan Williams' Twitter Ownership Summary

2013: Twitter IPO & Initial Stake

At Twitter's November 2013 IPO, Evan Williams was the largest individual shareholder, holding 56.9 million shares (~12% of the company). At the IPO price of $26 per share, his stake was valued at $1.4–$1.5 billion. As Twitter's stock surged on opening day (~$45 per share), his stake's value jumped to $2.6 billion.

2014–2017: Gradual Stake Reduction

Williams initially held most of his shares, though minor stock sales and dilution from share issuance reduced his stake to ~54.1 million shares (~8.5%) by late 2014. By 2017, he still controlled ~5% of Twitter (~35–40 million shares) but announced plans to sell up to 30% to diversify his investments.

2018–2019: Major Sell-Off & Board Departure

By early 2018, Williams had reduced his holdings to ~29 million shares, and by late 2018, he held only ~14.6 million shares. In February 2019, he stepped down from Twitter's board, signaling the end of his close involvement.

2022: Musk Buyout & Williams' Remaining Stake

When Elon Musk acquired Twitter in October 2022 for $54.20 per share, Williams still owned Twitter stock, though far less than at IPO. If he retained the ~14.6 million shares reported in 2018, he would have received ~$790 million from the buyout. His exact final stake is unknown, but he likely cashed out hundreds of millions.

Medium and Beyond

After stepping down as Twitter CEO in 2010 (while remaining on the board until 2019), Williams focused on his next venture. In 2012, he launched Medium, a publishing platform designed to encourage thoughtful, long-form content in an internet landscape increasingly dominated by brevity and sensationalism.

Medium represented Williams' response to what he perceived as declining quality in online discourse. The platform introduced innovative features like estimated reading times, a clean reading experience, and a partner program to compensate writers. Under his leadership, Medium became a destination for both professional and amateur writers seeking to share substantive ideas.

In addition to his direct entrepreneurial activities, Williams co-founded Obvious Corporation with Biz Stone, which served as both an incubator for new ideas and an investment vehicle. Through Obvious Ventures, founded in 2014, Williams has backed companies focusing on "world-positive" ventures that combine profit with positive social impact.

(Photo by Brad Barket/Getty Images for WIRED)

Leadership Philosophy and Impact

Williams has developed a distinctive leadership approach characterized by thoughtful product iteration and a focus on user experience. Unlike many Silicon Valley entrepreneurs who prioritize growth at all costs, Williams has often made decisions that prioritize quality and sustainability over rapid expansion.

His design philosophy emphasizes simplicity and accessibility—creating tools that feel intuitive to users regardless of their technical expertise. This approach has helped his platforms reach mainstream adoption while maintaining their essential functionality.

Williams has also been open about entrepreneurial challenges, discussing failures and pivots throughout his career. This transparency has made him a respected voice in startup circles, where his insights on product development and company building are highly regarded.

Legacy in Digital Communication

Evan Williams' legacy lies in how profoundly his creations have shaped online communication. Three of his major platforms—Blogger, Twitter, and Medium—represent distinct evolutionary stages in how people share information online:

• Blogger pioneered accessible self-publishing, helping launch the first major wave of user-generated content
• Twitter transformed real-time communication and news dissemination, creating a new format for public discourse
• Medium reimagined thoughtful publishing for the digital age, providing a space for nuanced expression

Few entrepreneurs can claim to have created multiple platforms with such widespread influence on how people communicate online. Williams' consistent vision—democratizing publishing and amplifying individual voices—has remained remarkably constant across these ventures, even as the specific implementations evolved.

Personal Approach and Values

Despite his significant success, Williams has maintained a relatively low-profile presence compared to many tech leaders. Known for being contemplative and measured in his public statements, he exemplifies a different model of tech leadership focused more on product impact than personal celebrity.

Williams has expressed concerns about the internet's evolution, particularly regarding attention economics and the quality of public discourse. These reflections have informed his later ventures, which increasingly focus on creating more thoughtful digital spaces.

Through his work with Obvious Ventures, Williams has demonstrated a commitment to using technology and entrepreneurship as forces for positive change, backing companies working on sustainability, health, and education.

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