Vlad Tenev

Vlad Tenev, the son of two World Bank staffers, was raised in a household that valued large institutions. However, he opted for entrepreneurship and, in 2011, he withdrew from UCLA's math Ph.D. program to collaborate with his college friend Baiju Bhatt in creating high-tech trading software for hedge funds and banks. Their primary target soon shifted to retail consumers, with the aim of leveraging technology, design, and competitive pricing to outperform existing retail brokers like E-Trade and Fidelity.

Their company, Robinhood, is a commission-free stock trading app that allows anyone with a smartphone to participate in the stock market. Since its launch, the app has facilitated over $2 billion in trades without charging any commission. The business model aims to generate revenue through the interest on cash in customers' accounts and by providing margin loans for stock purchases. The company has attracted $66 million in investment from leading investors. As the co-founder and CEO, Tenev has steered Robinhood to considerable growth, including a public listing on the Nasdaq exchange in July 2021 with a valuation of $32 billion. In November 2020, Tenev assumed the sole CEO position at Robinhood.

In addition to his work with Robinhood, Tenev co-founded the artificial intelligence startup Harmonic in 2023 and holds the position of executive chairman. He is also involved in funding an AI reasoning startup and has supported another startup aimed at enhancing AI's mathematical capabilities. Tenev's contributions to the fintech industry won him the Forbes 30 Under 30 in the Young Traders category in 2016 and he was inducted into the Forbes 30 Under 30 Hall of Fame in 2022. Forbes also featured him in "30 Under 30 Finance: The Top Young Traders, Bankers And Dealmakers".

As an industry leader, Tenev has shared his insights as the keynote speaker at UCLA's 2019 Math Commencement Ceremony. His role in the financial world and leadership at"Robinhood was depicted in the movie "Dumb Money," which covers the GameStop stock trading frenzy. Looking forward, Robinhood announced plans to expand its operations into the U.K. in October 2024.