Johnny Boufarhat
Johnny Boufarhat | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1 June 1994 Sydney, Australia |
| Education | Dubai American Academy |
| Alma mater | University of Manchester |
| Occupations | Entrepreneur, businessman |
| Known for | Founder of Hopin |
Johnny Boufarhat (born 1 June 1994)[1] is an Australian-born British entrepreneur and businessman, best known for founding the virtual events platform Hopin in 2019.[2][3] He came to prominence as one of the youngest self-made billionaires in the United Kingdom, reportedly achieving billionaire status at the age of 26.[4]
Early life
[edit]Boufarhat was born in Sydney, Australia, to a Lebanese father who is a mechanical engineer, and an Armenian mother, an accountant.[1][5] His family relocated to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where he attended the Dubai American Academy.[6]
He later moved to the United Kingdom for his university studies, enrolling at the University of Manchester where he studied mechanical engineering and graduated in 2016.[1][7] At university, he was described by peers as quiet and focused on his work.[8]
Career
[edit]Health challenges and founding vision
[edit]After graduation, Boufarhat suffered from a serious allergic reaction that led to an autoimmune disorder, leaving him largely housebound for several months.[9] During this period, he developed the idea for Hopin—an online events platform enabling people to meet, collaborate, and network virtually.[10]
Launch
[edit]In January 2019, Boufarhat officially launched Hopin. The company began as a small remote-first team and later set up its headquarters in London.[11][12]
Although the platform experienced a surge in demand in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, as companies, schools, and conferences shifted to virtual operations.[13][14] The company reached a peak valuation of $7.75 billion in August 2021. According to the Financial Times, Boufarhat sold about $195 million worth of his shares in the company.[15] By 2022, Hopin had more than 800 employees in over 45 countries.[16]
Departure
[edit]As demand for in-person events returned post-pandemic, Hopin underwent strategic restructuring.[17]
On 2 August 2023, Boufarhat stepped down as CEO of Hopin. He was succeeded by Josh Stein, the company's chief financial officer.[18][19]
Personal life
[edit]Boufarhat keeps a low public profile. He has spoken about following a carnivore diet, which he credits with helping manage his autoimmune condition.[1] In 2021, Boufarhat resided in Barcelona.[20] In 2022, Boufarhat became a resident of Switzerland.[21] As of 2023, he splits his time between London and Barcelona.[22][citation needed]
Boufarhat has been recognised in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list in the technology category in 2022.[23] He appeared in the Sunday Times Rich List in 2022 and 2023.[24] Boufarhat's estimated net worth in 2023 was £1.714 billion.[25]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 Shah, Oliver (10 April 2021). "Interview: Johnny Boufarhat — the steak-fuelled genius behind Hopin who is a billionaire at 26". The Times. Archived from the original on 19 June 2025. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
- ↑ Times, The Sunday (19 May 2023). "Johnny Boufarhat net worth — Sunday Times Rich List 2021" – via www.thetimes.co.uk.
- ↑ Munbodh, Emma; Scheerhout, John (25 May 2021). "The Manchester Uni grad who has become Britain's youngest self-made billionaire". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
- ↑ "Pandemic creates new billionaire every 30 hours - Oxfam". BBC News. 23 May 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
- ↑ "'UK's youngest self-made billionaire' shares how food poisoning sparked business". The Mirror. 1 July 2023. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
- ↑ Pupic, Tamara (28 December 2020). "Meet Johnny Boufarhat, The Founder And CEO Of Virtual Events Platform Hopin". Entrepreneur Middle East. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
- ↑ Ghosh, Shona (10 November 2020). "Meet Johnny Boufarhat, the 27-year-old founder of Hopin whose virtual events business has grown 4,000% in 2020". Business Insider. Retrieved 28 April 2023.[permanent dead link]
- ↑ Sweney, Mark (5 March 2021). "Hopin valuation soars to $5.65bn as Covid fuels virtual events boom". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
- ↑ Butcher, Mike (9 November 2020). "Virtual events platform Hopin raises $125M Series B led by IVP and Tiger Global at $2.125B valuation". TechCrunch. Retrieved 12 April 2023.[permanent dead link]
- ↑ Browne, Ryan (25 June 2020). "Virtual events start-up Hopin raises $40 million from IVP, Salesforce amid pandemic". CNBC. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
- ↑ "Johnny Boufarhat". Forbes. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
- ↑ Bradshaw, Tim (10 March 2021). "Pandemic creates a British tech billionaire". Financial Times. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
- ↑ "Hopin rides high on pandemic-led videoconferencing wave". Financial Times. 8 November 2021. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
- ↑ Short, Eva (25 June 2020). "Virtual events platform Hopin raises $40m in Series A funding". Silicon Republic. Retrieved 8 May 2023.[permanent dead link]
- ↑ Shubber, Kadhim; Kruppa, Miles; Nilsson, Patricia (25 April 2022). "Hopin: virtual events start-up struggles as real gatherings return". Financial Times. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
- ↑ Konrad, Alex (10 February 2022). "Hopin Cuts 12% of Staff". Forbes. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
- ↑ Mascarenhas, Natasha (10 February 2022). "Hopin cuts 12% of staff". TechCrunch. Retrieved 13 May 2023.[permanent dead link]
- ↑ Lewin, Amy (2 August 2023). "Johnny Boufarhat steps down as CEO of Hopin". Retrieved 10 August 2023.
- ↑ Burroughs, Callum (2 August 2023). "Hopin CEO Johnny Boufarhat steps down". Business Insider. Retrieved 15 August 2023.[permanent dead link]
- ↑ "CEO Secrets: 'My billion-pound company has no office'". BBC. 22 June 2021. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
- ↑ Stupples, Ben (8 July 2022). "Billionaire at 27, Hopin CEO Boufarhat Becomes a Swiss Resident". Bloomberg – via Business Source Complete.
- ↑ Hewitson, Rosie (15 March 2021). "Meet the 26-year-old Londoner who made a fortune in lockdown". Time Out London. Retrieved 14 May 2023.[permanent dead link]
- ↑ "Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe: Technology". Forbes. 2021. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
- ↑ "The Sunday Times Rich List 2023". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
- ↑ Times, The Sunday (19 May 2023). "Johnny Boufarhat net worth — Sunday Times Rich List 2023". The Times. Retrieved 4 July 2025.