# Bobby Murphy

> Bobby Murphy is the co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat. A mathematical and computational science graduate from Stanford, Murphy has led the engineering vision behind one of the world's most influential social media platforms since 2011. Known as Snapchat's 'quiet genius,' he pioneered ephemeral messaging and has been instrumental in developing Snap's augmented reality innovations, including Spectacles AR glasses. Named to Time's 100 Most Influential People in 2014, Murphy became one of the world's youngest billionaires and remains a driving force in Snap's transformation into a comprehensive AR and AI company.

- **Role:** Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer at Snap Inc.
- **Organizations:** Snap Inc., Snap Foundation
- **From:** Berkeley, California, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** B.S. in Mathematical and Computational Science, Stanford University, High School Diploma, Saint Mary's College High School, Elementary Education, School of the Madeleine
- **Known for:** Co-founded Snapchat, which grew to over 400 million daily active users, Named to Time's 100 Most Influential People in 2014 at age 25, Became one of the world's youngest billionaires

## Career timeline

- **2010** — Graduated from Stanford University with B.S. in Mathematical and Computational Science
- **2010-2011** — Software Engineer at Revel Systems, used half his paycheck to cover Snapchat's server bills
- **2011** — Co-founded Picaboo (later renamed Snapchat) with Evan Spiegel and Reggie Brown
- **2012** — Named Chief Technology Officer and joined board of directors at Snap Inc.
- **2014** — Named to Time's 100 Most Influential People alongside Evan Spiegel
- **2016** — Launched Spectacles, Snap's first camera-equipped glasses
- **2017** — Snap Inc. IPO - Murphy and Spiegel hold 45% stock and 70% voting power
- **2017** — Co-founded Snap Foundation with Spiegel, pledging up to 13M shares over 15-20 years
- **2024** — Launched fifth-generation Spectacles with advanced AR capabilities
- **2026** — Leading Snap's AI and AR transformation, preparing for next-gen Spectacles launch

## Achievements

- Co-founded Snapchat, which grew to over 400 million daily active users
- Named to Time's 100 Most Influential People in 2014 at age 25
- Became one of the world's youngest billionaires
- Led engineering teams that pioneered ephemeral messaging technology
- Developed Snapchat's augmented reality platform supporting 400,000+ developers
- Created over 4 million AR Lenses through Snap's developer ecosystem
- Led development of five generations of Spectacles AR glasses
- Holds 45% of Snap Inc. stock with 70% voting power (with Evan Spiegel)
- Recognized as second youngest billionaire in the world and youngest Filipino-American billionaire
- Donated millions through Snap Foundation to support arts, education, and youth nonprofits

## Latest updates

- **2026-04** — Snap announced 16% workforce reduction to save $500M in annualized costs as part of AI and AR transformation strategy
- **2026-02** — Murphy sold 1 million shares of Snap stock at $5.36 per share
- **2024-09** — Launched fifth-generation Spectacles with advanced see-through AR capabilities and full ecosystem for developers
- **2026** — Preparing for late-2026 next-generation Spectacles hardware launch with new OS and AI tools

## Links

- Website: https://snap.com

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/bobby-murphy
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-02