You will have surely heard about Bumble, one of the world’s largest dating apps, with over 10 million members. But do you know who is behind it?
Well! Her name is Whitney Wolfe Herd. She is an American businesswoman and the creator and CEO of Bumble.
Wolfe Herd was previously the vice president of the renowned dating website Tinder. She was selected to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list in both 2017 and 2018, as well as Time’s 100 list in 2018.
Aside from that, Wolfe Herd holds the distinction of becoming the world’s youngest self-made billionaire.
“is about perspective and how you look at something… ultimately, you have to zoom out” – Wolfe Herd
Let us read about this remarkable lady’s journey and learn some valuable lessons from her life.
whitney wolfe herd Wiki Profile
Name | Whitney Wolfe Herd |
Date of Birth | July 1, 1989 |
Birth Place | Salt Lake City, Utah, USA |
Age | 35 years |
Height | 5 feet 5 inches |
Net Worth | $1 billion |
Profession | ntrepreneur, Founder and CEO of Bumble |
Parents | Michael Wolfe (Father), Kelly Wolfe (Mother) |
Marital Status | Married (husband: Michael Herd) |
Nationality | American |
Whitney Wolfe Herd Early Life
Whitney Wolfe Herd was born in July 1989 in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, and raised there by her Jewish father, Michael Wolfe, a rich property developer, and her Catholic mother, Kelly Wolfe.
She attended Judge Memorial Catholic High School for her main schooling. During fourth grade, her family relocated to Paris, France.
She attended Southern Methodist University and majored in international studies. She was also a Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority member while in university.
During her undergraduate years, she created a business selling bamboo tote bags to help communities devastated by the BP oil disaster.
Wolfe Herd and celebrity stylist Patrick Aufdenkamp co-founded the non-profit organization “Help Us Project”.
After celebrities like Rachel Zoe and Nicole Richie were spotted using them, the bags got a lot of attention.
She subsequently co-founded “Tender Heart” alongside Aufdenkamp, a clothing line dedicated to raise awareness about human trafficking and fair trade.
Wolfe Herd spent the summer months after graduation working at a Southeast Asian orphanage.
Whitney Wolfe Herd’s Early Career
Wolfe Herd joined Cardify, a Hatch Labs IAC incubator project directed by Sean Rad, when she was 22 years old in 2012.
The project was subsequently canceled, but Wolfe Herd joined the Tinder development team with Rad and Chris Gulczynski.
Tinder quickly appointed Wolfe Herd as vice president of marketing.
She was credited with creating the app’s name, which was inspired by the flame emblem and the notion of tinder, a combustible substance that may spark a fire.
Wolfe Herd resigned from Tinder in April 2014 due to developing conflict with other executives.
On June 30, she filed a complaint against Tinder, alleging sexual harassment and discrimination.
She reportedly received more than $1 million in cash and shares as part of a September 2014 settlement.
In reaction to internet hostility, Wolfe Herd founded Merci, a female-only social networking service focused on thank you cards.
She is still not interested in the dating industry, but she is collaborating with Badoo founder Andrey Andreev to assemble a team and create a new female-friendly dating app.
She wanted to call the program Moxie, but it was already taken.
Launch of Bumble
Wolfe Herd relocated to Austin, Texas, in December 2014, and founded Bumble, a female-focused dating website. Over the next 12 months, the app had over 15 million chats and 80 million matches.
After Bumble launched, Andrey Andreev, the founder of Badoo, contacted her after Wolfe Herd left Tinder, and she collaborated with him.
Badoo continues to control the company after acquiring a controlling interest.
Bumble, which launched as a dating app in 2015, had more than 22 million registered users as of November 2017.
CNBC reported in January 2018 that Badoo was looking for a sale that may be worth roughly $1.5 billion.
In 2014, Business Insider named Wolfe Herd one of the 30 Most Important Women Under 30 in Technology. In 2016, she was named one of Elle’s Women in Tech.
She was on Forbes’ 30 under 30 lists in 2017 and 2018.
Wolfe Herd spoke before the Texas House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee in March 2019 regarding the large quantity of unsolicited sexual photos given to female dating site members.
Bumble was bought by Blackstone Group’s MagicLab subsidiary in November 2019, and co-founder Andreev sold his full investment in both firms.
Wolfe Herd took over as CEO of MagicLab, Google’s most recent purchase at $3 billion with an estimated 75 million active users, and received a 19% ownership interest.
In 2020, Bumble purchased MagicLab, which controlled both Badoo and Bumble. As of 2020, Bumble had over 100 million users globally.
Bumble’s worth surpassed $13 billion in February 2021, following a $2.2 billion Nasdaq IPO.
It reached $16 billion in April 2021. After Bumble went public, Wolfe Herd became the world’s youngest self-made female millionaire.
Whitney Wolfe Herd Net Worth
Whitney Wolfe Herd net worth is approximately $1 billion as of 2024, reflecting changes in her company’s stock value and other financial factors since 2022.
Whitney Wolfe is no longer a billionaire because her company’s stock has fallen more than 50% since it was listed on Nasdaq.
Whitney Wolfe’s net worth is projected to be $1.5 billion as of February 11, 2021. She lost over $500 million when the covid-19 epidemic spread.
However, as of March 2022, the company’s share price is in decline and may struggle to recover.
Well! Everything is dependent on additional planning by the promoters and significant players.
Whitney Wolfe has made a lot of money from Bumble, despite working on several other ventures.
Aside from that, she has a variety of secondary income streams that routinely assist her generate additional money.
Whitney Wolfe Herd Husband
Whitney Wolfe has been married to her fantastic husband, Michael Herd. The pair met on a skiing vacation to Aspen in 2013, although Wolfe initially saw him on a dating app.
She told The Telegraph, “He has the kind of face you remember”.
They married in 2017 at an extravagant three-day ceremony on Italy’s Amalfi Coast. During their honeymoon, they also stayed at Four Season resorts in Bora Bora and Maui.
Her spouse, Michael, is currently the president of Herd Producing Company, an oil and gas field operator founded by his late grandpa.
Whitney and Michael were gifted with a kid in December 2019, called Bobby. Overall, the family enjoys its existence.
The Bottom Line
Whitney Wolfe Herd demonstrated the power of women’s abilities. In reality, she remains at the top, having become the world’s first self-made female billionaire. She is still not finished.
Whitney is making every effort to recover as soon as possible.
Unfortunately, her firm was listed on Nasdaq during the Covid-19 Pandemic, making it difficult to stay on top for long.
However, even in 2022, the covid-19 is not totally under control. As a result, the tough times will continue.
“The power lunch is no longer just for men. We all deserve a seat at the table” – Wolfe Herd
Let us watch how the firm does in the future quarters. Until then, find inspiration in her and her great career.