Roelof Botha

Roelof F. Botha has spent over two decades building companies in Silicon Valley. He began within the walls of nascent PayPal, where he joined in March 2000 while completing his MBA at Stanford. He became CFO in 2001 and led the company through both its IPO in early 2002 and the subsequent acquisition by eBay. In 2003, Botha joined Sequoia Capital, where he now serves as the Managing Partner and Steward, overseeing the firm's U.S. and European operations.

In addition to managing the global Sequoia Partnership, Botha has played a significant role in shaping the landscape of the tech industry. He has supported the successful Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) of companies including MongoDB, Eventbrite, Unity, Block, 23andMe, and Bird. He also led Sequoia's investment in Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter.

Botha made a mark in the field of investments with his contrarian approach, often leading investments that initially faced skepticism. He spearheaded seed-stage investments in AI applications such as the mentoring app Meeno and the AI chief of staff Mindy. In 2023, more than 60 percent of Sequoia's investments were in AI and machine learning companies, marking a significant shift in the firm's investment focus. With these strategic moves, he secured a spot in the 2024 Midas List of Top Tech Investors, ranking #11.

Beyond investments, Botha has made contributions to the discourse on venture capital strategies and the future of AI in investing through public speaking engagements, including Disrupt 2020 and Extra Crunch Live. He has also been featured in discussions regarding new investment models and the impact of permanent-capital VCs. His thoughts and insights have been featured in Fortune, Forbes, on CNBC, and on podcasts like "The Tim Ferriss Show" and "Invest Like the Best." He is the author of "Crucible Moments: The Pivotal Decisions That Define Us," featured in Perspective.