Early Life
Robert Cornelius Murphy, known as Bobby Murphy, was born on July 19, 1988, in Berkeley, California. His mother, a Filipino immigrant, instilled in him a strong work ethic and cultural heritage. He attended the School of the Madeleine and Saint Mary's College High School in Berkeley. Murphy then pursued higher education at Stanford University.
Rise to Success
Murphy's career took off when he co-founded Snapchat (originally Picaboo) with Evan Spiegel and Reggie Brown while at Stanford University. They launched Picaboo in 2011, later rebranding it to Snapchat. As CTO, he has led the engineering, product, and research teams, playing a key role in the development of Snapchat's innovative features, including the Spectacles camera glasses. In 2015, Forbes recognized Murphy as the second-youngest billionaire in the world. In 2014, Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people.
Key Business Strategies
Murphy's success is rooted in his technical expertise and innovative vision. His focus on user experience and innovative technology has been crucial in establishing Snapchat's place in the social media market. Murphy and Spiegel have maintained significant control over Snap Inc., allowing them to guide the company's direction and maintain its unique culture.
Philanthropy
In February 2017, Murphy and Spiegel pledged to donate up to 13,000,000 shares of Class A common stock to their newly created Snap Foundation, which will support the arts, education, and youth non-profits, over the course of 15–20 years.