What sets Bumble apart from other dating apps is that when a girl and boy match, the girl has to message first. After knowing that, it’s no surprise that Bumble’s CEO is a woman. Whitney Wolfe Herd founded the dating and social app in 2014 and now owns 11.6% of the company. Her net worth is $1.4 billion and she’s 31 years old. She is considered to be one of the youngest and wealthiest self-made women in America.
Bumble has been around for some time now, so why is it just now that we are hearing about Whitney? The company went public early in February and their stock jumped 64% in value by the next day. Because of Bumble’s IPO, Whitney became a billionaire as she owns 21.5 million shares of the company. She is the youngest woman to take a company public and is making history. Bumble also owns Badoo, another dating app that provides a lot of Bumble’s revenue and was a large part of their IPO.
Before starting Bumble, Whitney was part of the founding team and eventually worked as the VP of Marketing at Tinder. She claims to have come up with the app’s name, however, she left the company in 2014 and filed a sexual harassment lawsuit, in which she was successful. After Tinder, she decided to create something more focused on empowering women, and so Bumble was born.
Most IPOs don’t make headlines as much as Bumble’s did because it’s always the same old story. Some guy with some company just got really wealthy. I know these men work just as hard and deserve just as much praise for running successful companies, but headlines about Whitney stand out amongst the others. Bumble’s IPO was packed with more meaning than just the typical IPO. It was sending a message to women and girls everywhere that being a CEO of a company, a mother and one of the most successful women in the world is possible. Through Whitney’s influence, hopefully, we can see more women in the tech world-leading companies.
Whitney’s story impacts me directly because my dream one day is to lead a company as successful as Bumble. It’s stories like Whitney’s that inspire me to do so. It’s not even about becoming successful, it’s about proving to myself that I could achieve something great like that. I would also want to send a message to other women, like Whitney has, that we can achieve things we never thought were possible.
Bumble’s IPO will be remembered for its success and its impact on society. As a self-made woman, Whitney Wolfe Herd has set the standard for what women can accomplish at a young age. The next time you use Bumble, know that the app was made for women by women, and women always look out for each other.
Sources
Marketwatch – 5 Things to Know About Billionaire Bumble CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd
Business Insider – Whitney Wolfe Herd