// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhy did Ben Chestnut go to the doctor? He had a fowl chest.
Ben Chestnut | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Chestnut in 2019 | |
| Born | 1973 or 1974 (age 51–52)[1] Augusta, Georgia, US |
| Education | University of Georgia Georgia Institute of Technology |
| Occupation | Internet entrepreneur |
| Known for | Co-founder and former CEO of Mailchimp |
| Children | 2 |
Ben Chestnut (born 1973/1974) is an American Internet entrepreneur. He is the co-founder (with Dan Kurzius) and former CEO of Mailchimp, an email marketing company.[2][3][4] As of November 2022, his net worth was estimated at US$4.1 billion.[1]
Early life
[edit]Ben Chestnut was born and raised in Augusta, Georgia[5] and attended high school in Hephzibah, Georgia. He studied physics at the University of Georgia and industrial design at the Georgia Institute of Technology.[6]
Career
[edit]He is the co-founder and former CEO of Rocket Science Group,[7] commonly known as Mailchimp[6][8] a CRM with 11 million users.[9] In 2016, he was recognized as Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year.[10] According to Atlanta Business Chronicle, in August 2017, Chestnut was awarded "Most Admired CEO".[11] In October 2018, Forbes noted that Chestnut was a billionaire.[12] In August 2022, Chestnut abruptly stepped down as CEO one month after sending a nearly 1,400-word email to a small group of employees identifying what he considered an alarming trend in his workforce: new hires introducing themselves in virtual meetings with their preferred pronouns.[13]
Personal life
[edit]Chestnut is married, with two children, and lives in Atlanta, Georgia.[1][14]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 "Forbes profile: Ben Chestnut". Forbes. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
- ↑ Carney, Michael (2012-11-30). "Attention founders: Here's how you respond to an unfair post about your company". PandoDaily. Archived from the original on 2013-06-05. Retrieved 2013-06-17.
- ↑ "Interview with Mailchimp co-founder and CEO Ben Chestnut". DoesWhat. 2012-09-26. Archived from the original on 2013-06-25. Retrieved 2013-06-17.
- ↑ Schultz, Ray. "Ben Chestnut Stepping Down As Mailchimp CEO". www.mediapost.com. Retrieved 2026-02-11.
- ↑ Atlanta Biz Journals.
- 1 2 "Case Study: Co-Founder Ben Chestnut Talks About MailChimp – Worth Of Web Academy". worthofweb.com. 17 November 2012. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
- ↑ "Interview with ben chestnut (mailchimp) – Does What". doeswhat.com. 26 September 2012. Archived from the original on 15 October 2018. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
- ↑ Kruppa, Miles (17 September 2021). "Ben Chestnut and Dan Kurzius, the men who made MailChimp". Financial Times. Retrieved 2026-03-11.
- ↑ "Mailchimp, Klaviyo, and HubSpot: See how we compare". Mailchimp. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
- ↑ Kim, Larry (2019-04-10). "10 Fascinating Facts About Mailchimp CEO Ben Chestnut". Inc.com. Retrieved 2020-05-19.
- ↑ "Most Admired CEO Awards (Sold Out)". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2017-10-11.
- ↑ "The New Atlanta Billionaires Behind An Unlikely Tech Unicorn". Forbes. 2018-10-08. Retrieved 2019-02-19.
- ↑ Schiffer, Zoë (20 October 2022). "Did this email cost Mailchimp's billionaire CEO his job?". www.platformer.news. Retrieved 2023-11-26.
- ↑ Countryman, Vanessa. "Forbes list of the 400 richest people in America 2025: Meet the 10 from Georgia". Savannah Morning News. Retrieved 2026-03-11.