What Is Spotify Co-founder and CEO Daniel Ek’s Net Worth?

An entrepreneur since 13, Daniel Ek has made billions after starting Spotify.

UPDATED FEB 13, 2024

Image Source: Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Spotify Daniel Ek speaks onstage during Spotify Investor Day at Spring Studios/ Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images

Name	Daniel Ek
Net Worth	$5 Billion
Gender	Male
DOB	Feb 21, 1983
Age	40 years
Nationality	Swedish
Profession	Entrepreneur

What is Daniel Ek’s net worth?

Swedish billionaire and tech entrepreneur Daniel Ek has a net worth of $5 billion. He co-founded Spotify, the music streaming service, and currently holds the position of the CEO. Although Spotify's inception occurred in 2006, it initially operated exclusively in the European market and after several years it was introduced to the rest of the world.

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What are Daniel Ek's sources of income?

Ek ventured into the business world at a young age by creating websites for clients. His initial pricing was set at $100 per website, but over time, he raised it to $5,000. To expand his business, he recruited classmates to collaborate on these projects in their school's computer lab. Remarkably, by the time he turned 18, he was earning $50,000 per month and leading a team of 25 individuals. While he initially enrolled at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology to study engineering, Ek eventually dropped out to focus on his career in tech.

Tradera and stardoll

Early in his career, Ek held a significant position at Tradera, a Swedish online marketplace founded in 1999. Within Tradera, he earned a senior role at a company specializing in the sale of various items, including clothing, electronics, and art; both new and secondhand. The platform catered to both commercial and private sellers and facilitated international transactions through registered PayPal accounts. eBay acquired Tradera in 2006.

Ek was also involved with Stardoll, a browser-based game and fashion community, where he served as the Chief Technology Officer. Stardoll offered players the opportunity to create virtual dolls or dress up existing celebrity dolls in a wide range of makeup and clothing styles. Players could utilize in-game currency to purchase beauty, apparel, and decor items, and engage in various challenges and mini-games. While open to all, Stardoll had a particular focus on providing a space for teenagers and young women to express themselves and connect with peers from around the world.

Advertigo and uTorrent

Ek's founded Advertigo, an online advertising company. In 2006, Advertigo found a new home when it was acquired by the Swedish digital marketing firm TradeDoubler. Subsequently, Ek became the CEO of the adware client uTorrent, collaborating with the company's founder, Ludvig Strigeus. However, his tenure came to a close when uTorrent was purchased by BitTorrent in December 2006.

Multiyear contract with Joe Rogan

Spotify, after initially investing heavily in podcasts but later scaling back, maintains its significance in the industry by securing a multiyear contract with Joe Rogan, the most popular figure in podcasting, despite revenue challenges faced by the industry. Rogan's presence, despite occasional controversies, is crucial for Spotify's position, as evidenced by the reluctance of other platforms to engage him, and his decision not to pursue independent ventures amidst the podcast advertising retraction. This deal ensures Rogan a steady income while solidifying Spotify's standing in the podcasting realm, highlighting a degree of interdependence between the two.

Spotify

Ek wanted to retire but he soon found himself starting a new project, which led to the birth of Spotify in 2006. Spotify was officially launched in October 2008 and has since become one of the largest music streaming services globally. With over 365 million monthly users and a vast library of songs and podcasts, this enterprise's value rose to more than $58 billion with Ek's share being $6.3 billion.

Currently, Ek holds approximately 7.3% of Spotify's ownership. When Spotify went public in April 2018 with a valuation of $28 billion, Ek's estimated net worth on paper stood at roughly $2.6 billion. This significant financial milestone coincided with Spotify boasting 71 million paying subscribers and an impressive $5 billion in annual revenue.

Image Source: Daniel Ek, chief executive officer of Spotify, speaks about a partnership between Samsung and Spotify during a product launch event at the Barclays Center, August 9, 2018 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City/Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Instagram	11,800 Followers
Twitter	229,700 Followers

Personal life

Ek was born on February 21, 1983, in Stockholm, Sweden. He attended IT-Gymnasiet in Sundbyberg during his teenage years. In 2016, Daniel Ek married his longtime lover Sofia Levander in a lavish ceremony at Lake Como, Italy. Chris Rock officiated the wedding, and Bruno Mars performed with notable guests including Mark Zuckerberg. The couple has two children. A devoted Arsenal supporter, Ek made a $2.5 billion bid to buy the club in 2021, but the offer was rejected by the owners.