# Linden Lab

> Linden Lab is the San Francisco company behind Second Life, the user-built virtual world it launched in 2003. More than two decades on, the platform still runs a multimillion-dollar creator economy where residents design avatars, sell virtual goods, host live events and trade in Linden Dollars - a quiet, persistent metaverse that predates the word itself.

- **Founded:** 1999
- **Headquarters:** San Francisco, California, United States
- **Founders:** Philip Rosedale (Founder, former CEO (now strategic advisor / High Fidelity founder))
- **Team size:** ~200
- **Products:** Second Life, Second Life Mobile, Linden Dollars (L$), Marketplace, Premium / Premium Plus memberships
- **Notable:** Launched Second Life in June 2003 - widely cited as the original consumer metaverse., Crossed Second Life's 20th anniversary in 2023, still operating and shipping., Built a virtual economy where residents have cashed out hundreds of millions of USD over two decades.

## Products & services

- **Second Life** — A 3D virtual world launched in 2003 where residents create avatars, build environments, host events and trade virtual goods.
- **Second Life Mobile** — Mobile client (public beta on iOS and Android) bringing chat, social and in-world presence to phones.
- **Linden Dollars (L$)** — In-world currency exchangeable to USD via the LindeX exchange; the backbone of Second Life's creator economy.
- **Marketplace** — Online storefront for user-created virtual goods - clothing, avatars, animations, full sims.
- **Premium / Premium Plus memberships** — Subscription tiers offering land, stipends and perks for residents.

## Achievements

- Launched Second Life in June 2003 - widely cited as the original consumer metaverse.
- Crossed Second Life's 20th anniversary in 2023, still operating and shipping.
- Built a virtual economy where residents have cashed out hundreds of millions of USD over two decades.
- Spun out Tilia, a fiat-grade payments platform that later attracted J.P. Morgan and Thunes.
- Launched Second Life Mobile public beta in 2024-2025, the first true mobile presence after 21 years on desktop.

## Latest updates

- **2026-05** — SVP Patch Linden (Eric Nix) departs after nearly 20 years; Product Operations and Customer Success reorganize under CEO Brad Oberwager.
- **2026-03** — Linden Lab quietly opens a new adult-oriented hub in Second Life, signaling continued grid expansion.
- **2026-01** — Second Life Mobile Android update ships 'Bubble Chat' feature.
- **2024** — Thunes agrees to acquire Tilia from Linden Lab; five-year exclusive payments partnership announced.
- **2023-06** — Second Life celebrates 20 years.

## Links

- Website: https://lindenlab.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/linden-lab
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/LindenLab
- GitHub: https://github.com/secondlife
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/SecondLife
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/secondlife/
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/secondlife
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@secondlife

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/linden-lab
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-28