SCOTT FARQUHAR
Co-founding Atlassian and growing it to a $50B enterprise software giant without VC money
Scott Farquhar co-built Atlassian from a $10,000 credit card bet into one of the world's most valuable software companies. He stepped down as co-CEO in August 2024 after 22 years — a rare founder who actually knew when to hand over the wheel. His wife Kim Jackson runs Skip Capital, which backs the next generation of Australian tech founders. Farquhar is quietly one of the most consequential tech figures Australia has ever produced.
Net Worth
$16 billion
Nationality
Australian
Time Horizon
Long-Term
Risk Appetite
6 / 10
Net Worth Context
- · That's the GDP of a small country — around the size of Greenland.
- · Enough to buy an NBA team and keep $12B for snacks.
CAREER & BACKGROUND
[ "Co-founded Atlassian in 2002 with Mike Cannon-Brookes using $10,000 borrowed on a credit card", "Grew Atlassian to over $4 billion in annual revenue by 2024 without early VC funding", "Led Atlassian's NASDAQ IPO in 2015, valuing the company at $5.8 billion", "Atlassian reached a market cap of over $100 billion at its peak in 2021", "Stepped down as co-CEO in August 2024 after 22 years leading the company", "Partner at Skip Capital alongside his wife Kim Jackson, backing Australian tech startups" ]
COMPANIES & ROLES
[ {"name": "Atlassian", "role": "Co-Founder and Co-CEO", "years": "2002-2024"}, {"name": "Skip Capital", "role": "Partner and Investor", "years": "2017-present"} ]
INVESTING STYLE & PHILOSOPHY
Patient, thesis-driven, and founder-friendly. Through Skip Capital, he backs Australian tech founders solving big problems with durable business models.
Not a trader. Not a speculator.
THE PLAYBOOK
Risk Approach
Moderate. He built his wealth through one long-term concentrated bet on Atlassian.
He prefers investing in founders he understands and can support, rather than chasing hot sectors.
Money Habits
Philanthropic. He and Kim donated $130 million to causes including educational equity and public health in 2022.
Lives in Sydney but travels globally for Atlassian and Skip Capital.
BIGGEST WIN
Atlassian. He and Mike Cannon-Brookes built it from zero to a NASDAQ-listed global company without outside capital for the first decade.
It changed what Australian tech could aspire to be.
BIGGEST MISTAKE
Atlassian's stock dropped over 70% in 2022 as markets rotated away from high-multiple SaaS stocks. Years of paper wealth evaporated in months.
Staying the course and not panicking was the real test.
FINANCIAL PHILOSOPHY
Build something real, grow it deliberately, skip the hype. He has said publicly that not taking VC money in Atlassian's early days was one of the best decisions they ever made.
FAMILY & PERSONAL LIFE
Married to Kim Jackson, who runs Skip Capital. Three children.
Lives in Sydney, Australia.
EDUCATION
Studied Commerce and Computer Science at the University of New South Wales (UNSW). Co-founded Atlassian during university.
BOOKS & RESOURCES
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QUOTES (6)
We started Atlassian because we wanted to work together. We had no idea what we were building. We just knew we wanted to build something.
Not taking VC money forced us to build a business model that actually worked. We couldn't hide behind fundraising rounds.
Australia punches well below its weight in technology. That is changing, and it needs to change faster.
The best companies are built with a long-term view. Short-term thinking is the enemy of real value creation.
After 22 years, the time is right for new leadership. Atlassian is ready for the next chapter.
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