Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield is part of the newest 'it' power couple in Silicon Valley - here's what we know about the newly engaged billionaire's relationship with his fiance, who runs a $1.4 billion company
Stewart Butterfield is the cofounder of Slack and Flickr.
The 46-year-old billionaire was born in a small British Columbia fishing village. His net worth is now estimated to be over $1.3 billion.
Jen Rubio is the cofounder of the Away luggage brand.
The millionaire executive turned 30 last year; her net worth is estimated to be $130 million.
Together, the couple is one of the defining "it" couples of Silicon Valley.
They're power players in their own right, both running billion-dollar businesses.
Butterfield, who is 16 years Rubio's senior, continues to make headlines after his company, Slack, went public on June 20. Despite running high-profile companies, much of their relationship has been under the radar.
Butterfield is a self-taught coder who studied philosophy in college.
He holds a bachelors degree from the University of Victoria and masters degree from the University of Cambridge. Both degrees are in philosophy.
Before founding Flickr, Butterfield started an online gaming company with his Flickr cofounder and then-wife, Caterina Fake; they were married from 2001 to 2008. The pair — along with Butterfield's friend Jason Classon — originally started an online multiplayer gaming company called Ludicorp.
After the startup failed to raise the money needed, the couple founded the photosharing platform Flickr. The company later sold to Yahoo for $20 million in 2015. Butterfield and Fake joined Yahoo in the acquisition — Butterfield worked there for three years.
The couple separated in 2008 and has one 12-year-old daughter together.
Butterfield currently serves as Slack's CEO, while his cofounder Cal Henderson is the company's chief technology officer. The company went public this week.
Business Insider's Julie Bort reported that the pair stands to make millions, if not billions, off their stakes in the company. Butterfield's stake is worth over $1.7 billion, while Henderson's is worth over $672 million.
Rubio attended business school at Penn State University.
After working at Johnson & Johnson through Penn State's co-op program, Rubio decided to pursue a full-time job offer before completing her last few credits. The professional experience led to positions at Warby Parker and All Saints in London, where she worked as the head of innovation.
Both Rubio and her Away cofounder Steph Korey work at the company full-time.
The pair met working at Warby Parker and started Away in 2015 after Rubio was forced to buy a new suitcase in an airport. Today, the brand is worth over $1.4 billion.
Rubio has stated she travels over 200,000 miles a year.
When asked about her morning routine in a March 2019 interview with Marie Claire, Rubio said, "Whatever my first thing of the day is, I make sure to wake up three hours before that to workout, read, meditate, catch up on emails, or chat with my boyfriend, since usually we're not in the same place."
She did not, however, specify that the boyfriend is Butterfield.
According to The New York Times, the proposal took place over Memorial Day while the couple was hiking in Tofino, British Columbia.
"Ms. Rubio said she momentarily wondered if he was only proposing because of Twitter, asking, 'Are you serious?'" reported The Times.
No immediate wedding plans have been announced.
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