Billionaire Brian Chesky’s social-worker parents told him to pick a high-paying career. He went to art school—and started Airbnb with 3 air beds

详细摘要

Chesky’s mother, herself a social worker, was worried when he became an art student. He started Airbnb when he was barely making rent.

Before Airbnb had over 9 million listings worldwide, there was one sole lodging: three inflatable air beds at CEO Brian Chesky’s San Francisco home. He had quit his job and packed up all his belongings in a Honda Civic to make a cross-country move, and couldn’t pay his rent.

“We called it the air-bed-and-breakfast,” he told Fortune in 2017 at a World’s Greatest Leaders event.

Chesky and Airbnb cofounder Joe Gebbia were hooked on the idea of making money and meeting new friends through their makeshift accommodations, so they opened their home to three guests: “What if you could book someone’s home the way you could book a hotel anywhere in the world?” Chesky said about their inspiration. They launched Airbnb with Gebbia’s former roommate Nathan Blecharczyk in 2008.

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