Niklas Zennström

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Niklas Zennström

Niklas Zennstrom ( pronunciation : [ Niklas sɛnːstɹœm ] * 16th February 1966 in Järfälla , Sweden ) is a Swedish software developer and co-developer of Internet Exchange Kazaa and Internet telephony - network Skype . In 2006 he founded the investment company Atomico, which is primarily involved in the technology sector. The company, which Zennström has been managing director since then, focuses on innovations that have the potential to reshape markets. To date, he has invested in more than 40 companies on three continents and is considered one of the most important entrepreneurs in Europe.

Zennström studied management science and computer science at Uppsala University and the University of Michigan in the United States . He then worked for Tele2 and get2net and was CEO of the everyday.com portal. In March 2001 he founded the Kazaa swap exchange with Janus Friis and the Joltid company in 2003.

Zennström was sued by the music industry in 2001 in the United States for aiding and abetting copyright infringement. However, the lawsuit could not be served for about a year because Zennström was moving around Europe in a “phantom-like” manner. After that, the conviction could be averted. Zennström argued that someone who did not live or do business in the United States could not be tried in a US court.

After that Zennstrom and Friis devoted to the development of Internet telephony network Skype , which in September 2005 for 3.1 billion US dollars from eBay was acquired. Zennström has stepped down from the Skype CEO post. He has since been a non-voting member of the Skype Board of Directors. Zennström then worked on a broadcasting platform called Joost .

In 2010, together with Friis, Zennström developed the advertising-free music subscription and audio-on-demand service Rdio . He has been a member of the supervisory board of H&M since 2014 .

Niklas Zennström is married.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Official website of Atomico
  2. ↑ Skype founder organizes startup speed dating in Berlin , t3n, November 14, 2011. Accessed on March 19, 2012.
  3. ↑ Andreas Wilkens: eBay wants to bring Skype to the stock exchange. In: Heise online . Verlag Heinz Heise, April 15, 2009, accessed on January 22, 2012 .
  4. ↑ H&M group | Board of Directors. Retrieved January 10, 2018 .
  5. ↑ Martin Robinson: Skype founder worth £ 600m loses High Court battle against former owners of £ 1.1m harbor-side home that 'fell down' after he bought it. In: dailymail.co.uk. February 22, 2013, accessed December 9, 2013 .
personal data
SURNAME Zennström, Niklas
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swedish IT entrepreneur, developer of Kazaa, Skype and Rdio
DATE OF BIRTH February 16, 1966
PLACE OF BIRTH Järfälla , Sweden