LeaderPortfolio
Murphy
Bobby Murphy
Rank #2313
UNITED STATESTechnologySnapchat

Bobby Murphy

Net Worth
$1.781B
+2.15% (24h)
Robert Cornelius Murphy, born in 1988, is an American entrepreneur and software engineer best known as the co-founder and CTO of Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat. His net worth is estimated at $1.5 billion as of March 25, 2026. Murphy's source of wealth is primarily from Snapchat, the innovative visual messaging platform he co-created with Evan Spiegel. His career began with the launch of Picaboo (later Snapchat) in 2011, revolutionizing social media with ephemeral content. Murphy's achievements include leading Snap's engineering and research teams and contributing to products like Spectacles. He was recognized by *Time* as one of the 100 Most Influential People in 2014.

The Full Dossier

Early Life

Bobby Murphy was born on July 19, 1988, in Berkeley, California. His mother is a first-generation Filipino-American, and his father has Irish-American heritage. Murphy grew up in Berkeley and attended the School of the Madeleine and Saint Mary's College High School.

Rise to Success

Murphy co-founded Snapchat with Evan Spiegel and Reggie Brown while they were students at Stanford University in 2011. He graduated from Stanford University in 2010 with a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematical and computational science. Snapchat's innovative concept of disappearing messages quickly gained popularity, making Murphy a billionaire overnight after the company's IPO in 2017. Before Snapchat, Murphy worked at Revel Systems, a startup developing management software.

Key Business Strategies

As CTO of Snap Inc., Murphy has overseen the company's engineering, product development, and research teams, leading innovations like augmented reality filters and Spectacles. He and Spiegel have joint control over Snap, with special voting shares giving them control of the company.

Philanthropy

In February 2017, Murphy and Spiegel pledged to donate up to 13,000,000 shares of Class A common stock to the Snap Foundation, supporting arts, education, and youth non-profits over 15–20 years.

Career Timeline

2017

Snap Inc. IPO

Snap Inc. went public on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

2015

Became a Billionaire

Listed as the second-youngest billionaire by *Forbes*.

2014

Named to *Time*'s 100 Most Influential People

Recognized for contributions to the tech industry.

2011

Co-founded Snapchat (originally Picaboo)

Launched the photo-sharing app with Evan Spiegel and Reggie Brown.

2010

Graduated from Stanford University

Received a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematical and computational science.

Philanthropic Impact

Education, Arts and Youth$XB

Snap Foundation

Supports the arts, education, and youth non-profits.

Wealth Trajectory