GARRETT CAMP
Co-founded Uber and StumbleUpon, then launched Expa, a startup studio that has incubated multiple companies.
Garrett Camp co-founded two billion-dollar companies before most people hit their mid-30s. He built StumbleUpon (sold to eBay for $75 million), then sketched the original Uber concept on a napkin in Paris. While Travis Kalanick became the face — and the controversy — of Uber, Camp quietly held onto his shares and became a billionaire. He is the richest person you have probably never heard of in the ride-hailing story.
Net Worth
$4 billion
Nationality
Canadian
Time Horizon
Long-Term
Risk Appetite
8 / 10
CAREER & BACKGROUND
Born in Calgary, Canada in 1978. Studied electrical engineering at the University of Calgary, where he built StumbleUpon as a side project in 2001.
StumbleUpon became one of the most popular web discovery tools of the mid-2000s. eBay acquired it for $75 million in 2007, though the product eventually faded.
The Uber story started in Paris in late 2008. Camp was attending the LeWeb conference and could not get a taxi.
He started sketching a concept for an on-demand car service app. He brought in Travis Kalanick as co-founder.
UberCab launched in San Francisco in 2010 and went on to become one of the most transformative companies in tech history.
Camp served as Uber's chairman until 2019, but unlike Kalanick, he never ran the company day-to-day. He was the architect, not the operator.
In 2013, he founded Expa, a startup studio that has launched or incubated companies like Mix (content discovery), Haus (aperitifs), Reserve (restaurant reservations), and Spot (parking). He has also invested in dozens of early-stage startups.
COMPANIES & ROLES
Co-founder of Uber (2009). Founder of StumbleUpon (2001, sold to eBay).
Founder of Expa (startup studio, 2013). Founded or incubated Mix, Haus, Reserve, and Spot.
Angel investor in numerous early-stage startups. Uber chairman until 2019.
INVESTING STYLE & PHILOSOPHY
Builder and architect. Camp prefers creating companies from scratch through his studio model rather than investing from the sidelines.
Through Expa, he provides seed funding, office space, and operational support to new companies. He is not a passive public markets investor — his wealth is almost entirely from founder equity.
THE PLAYBOOK
Risk Approach
High but thoughtful. Camp co-founded Uber when nobody believed ride-hailing would work.
He runs a startup studio that launches multiple ventures simultaneously. But unlike his Uber co-founder, Camp does not seek chaos — he takes calculated creative risks.
Money Habits
Lives between San Francisco and Vancouver. Much more low-key than most tech billionaires.
Not known for flashy spending or public controversy — which is remarkable for someone worth $4 billion from Uber. Drives a Tesla.
Focuses his time on Expa and new venture creation.
BIGGEST WIN
Co-founding Uber. His initial concept — tap a button, get a ride — changed transportation globally.
Uber reached a peak market cap of $120 billion. Camp's ownership stake at IPO made him a multibillionaire.
The company now operates in over 70 countries.
BIGGEST MISTAKE
Not staying as Uber's CEO. Camp chose to bring in Kalanick as the operational leader, which led to Uber's notoriously aggressive culture and eventual scandals.
Had Camp run the company himself, the path might have been very different — though whether it would have grown as fast is debatable.
FINANCIAL PHILOSOPHY
Build the future, do not bet on it. Camp believes in creating companies rather than investing in other people's.
His startup studio model lets him maintain hands-on involvement at the earliest stages. He has said that the best investments are the ones you build yourself.
FAMILY & PERSONAL LIFE
Private about personal life. Canadian.
Based between San Francisco and Vancouver. Known for being one of the quietest billionaires in tech — he rarely gives interviews and almost never appears on stage at conferences.
EDUCATION
University of Calgary (BS in Electrical Engineering, MS in Software Engineering). Built StumbleUpon while studying for his master's degree.
BOOKS & RESOURCES
The methodology behind Camp's studio approach at Expa
The IDEO design thinking framework
The Uber story told from the inside
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QUOTES (5)
The studio model lets you fail fast on ten ideas instead of spending ten years on one that might not work.
I couldn't get a taxi in Paris. That frustration became a $120 billion company.
I prefer building companies to investing in them. The best returns come from creating something yourself.
Travis was the operator. I was the architect. You need both to build something that changes the world.
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