American business executive Brad Garlinghouse has now spent a decade at enterprise blockchain company Ripple.
Ripple cofounder Chris Larsen welcomed Garlinghouse to the team on April 17, 2015.
Prior to joining Ripple, Garlinghouse held executive positions at major companies such as AOL and Yahoo.
Garlinghouse was initially appointed as the company's chief operating officer (COO). His position was then elevated to that of chief executive officer (CEO) the following year. Garlinghouse replaced Larsen at the top job.
During his 2024 appearance on the "World Class" podcast, Garlinghouse revealed that he was initially skeptical of crypto, but Larsen talked him into joining the team. He initially intended to join ride-hailing company Uber, but he then realized that Ripple would be able to change his life in a more meaningful way.
Valeria BlokhinaGarlinghouse emerged to prominence following the groundbreaking 2017 bull run. In January 2018, Forbes reported that he was a billionaire with a net worth of $9.5 billion.
He then emerged as the industry's main voice against the SEC after Ripple got sued by the agency in late 2020. The company eventually emerged victorious from the legal battle after spending $150 million in legal fees.
In March, Fox Business estimated that Garlinghouse's personal net worth is around $10 billion following the massive surge in the XRP price in the fourth quarter of 2024. If accurate, this would make him one of the richest people in the U.S.
He has also achieved celebrity status, attracting more than 1.2 million followers on the X social media network.
In late 2024, Garlinghouse appeared on an episode of CBS's "60 Minutes" to make his case for clear crypto regulation.
Vladislav Sopov
Dan Burgin