Buckle up your seatbelts, because you are about to embark on a journey about how YouTube was born and one of the co-founders behind the revolutionary video-sharing and hosting platform.
You may know him as the person who uploaded the first video “Me at the zoo” on YouTube in 2005, which has over 378 million views as of 2026.
He holds the title of the first YouTube channel ever and the first ever YouTube video, the one and only Jawed Karim.
Who is Jawed Karim
Jawed Karim born in 1979, hailing from East Germany, is a computer scientist, software engineer, and one of the co-founders of YouTube.
Not only is he famous for starting one of the most well-known and popular video hosting platforms in the world, but he’s cemented in legends as the first person to upload a video on YouTube.
His video “Me at the zoo” boasts 378 million views as of 2026 and is only 19 seconds long. Most people surprisingly know him as the first person to upload a video on YouTube instead of his status as one of the co-founders of the platform.
However, he is a talented software engineer and entrepreneur with many other ventures, investments, and initiatives.
If you search for his social profiles online, it’s very hard to find things related to his personal life. Jawed doesn’t really have a public persona and prefers to stay away from the spotlight, but being one of the creators of YouTube, sometimes he’s vocal about the changes on the platform.
Jawed Karim Childhood
Jawed Karim was born on October 28th, 1979, in Merseburg, East Germany. That means he is 45 years old in 2026. So for those wondering how old he is, now you know.
However, due to the fall of the Soviet Union and the day-to-day discrimination in both East and West Germany, his family moved to the United States in 1992 and settled in Saint Paul, Minnesota where he had to adjust to a different culture, surroundings, and environment.
Being young at the age of 12 however, he quickly adapted to his environment and got along fairly well. Though not much is known about his childhood formative years, what’s for certain is that Jawed had a great interest in computers and technology. He grew up with the revolutionary changes that Microsoft and Apple introduced during the 1990s.
Jawed Karim Early Adulthood
Sensing the rapidly developing sector in technology, Jawed decided to become a developer and a tech entrepreneur early. With a keen interest in everything related to computers, Jawed, after finishing high school at Saint Paul Central High School, decided to major in Computer Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the school where his other co-founder, Steve Chen also happened to study at.
With some experience and internship under his belt working at Silicon Graphics Inc. with 3D voxel data management and rendering, Jawed went on to work for PayPal where he met his future YouTube business partners.
Jawed Karim Professional Life
Jawed Karim boasts an impressive resume.
The young developer already had his work lined up full-time in Silicon Valley, and after his graduation, sensing the big change in IT and technology, he headed west.
PayPal
In 2002, Jawed Karim joined the team at PayPal where he worked as a developer and engineer in the anti-fraud systems, prevention department. His work was an integral part of keeping PayPal safe and secure, not only from hackers but users who sought to abuse any loopholes.
However, more importantly, PayPal is where Jawed met his future YouTube co-founders, Chad Hurley and Steve Chen.
Building a Dating Website
After a few years working at PayPal and on an interesting side note… also under the business mogul Elon Musk, the trio decided to pursue their dream of building a tech platform of their own. Interestingly, before there was YouTube, they tried their hands at building a dating site, with the slogan “Tune In, Hook Up”.
Compared to the apps of today, their idea was to build a dating platform where people could share their video introductions on their profiles.
On February 14th, Valentine’s Day 2005, the website was launched, but the feasibility of integrating videos with a dating service, didn’t pan out well as they had hoped, so they pivoted towards a different idea.
Though the dating website failed, the idea of building a user-friendly website where people could upload their own quirky videos stuck, and thus YouTube was born.
YouTube
In April 2005, Karim became the first person to create a YouTube channel under the name “jawed” and uploaded the first-ever video on the platform since its launch. Most people are unfortunately not aware of the fact that the first video on YouTube is actually one of the founders of the platform. It’s in his favor though, since he chooses to keep his personal life private from the prying eyes of the public.
At YouTube, Jawed built the foundational framework and the core functionality of the platform. Jawed and his colleague Steve’s code and framework became an integral part of YouTube’s success and growth as the platform made it simple and easy to upload videos for public viewing.
After setting up the groundwork for YouTube, Jawed became an adviser for the company for a few years before enrolling at Stanford University to pursue his master’s degree. Not long after, due to his coursework at Stanford, Jawed decided to become an informal adviser.
In 2006, when YouTube got acquired by Google for a whopping $1.65 billion, Jawed Karim’s 137,443 stock shares were valued at $64 million.
After his exit, with a boatload of cash, Karim went on to start his own venture fund in 2008, Y Ventures, a fund that helped build up companies such as the likes of Reddit, AirBnB, and more.
Jawed Karim’s Life After YouTube
Since selling his YouTube shares to Google, Jawed has been living a relatively quiet and peaceful life away from the spotlight. He doesn’t do a lot of interviews or appear for any public events as much. Even his social media channels are inactive for the most part.
Currently, he’s living his life and further supporting up-and-coming tech entrepreneurs. He’s made noticeable contributions and investments in many disruptive technologies.
A few of his notable investments are Airbnb, Reddit, Palantir, and EventBrite.
To this day, he is still an angel investor and actively adds to his venture fund portfolio.
AirBnB
Before AirBnB was the giant we know today, back in 2009, when it was just a small startup, he served a crucial role in its survival and future growth.
With Jawed’s help, the team at AirBnB was able to raise $600 thousand in seed capital, which was spent further developing their technology, marketing, and PR.
As of 2026, AirBnB is valued at $82 billion and serves as an alternative housing and accommodation option for people who prefer non-hotel short-term rentals pretty much everywhere around the world. It is one of the biggest accommodation platforms in the world alongside Booking.com.
Palantir
Palantir is also one of Jawed’s most successful investments. Peter Thiel who is the founder of the company also happened to be one of the founders of PayPal.
Using his previous connections at PayPal, Karim had the chance to be part of a revolutionary company that focused on big data analytics, which helps businesses make well-informed decisions.
As of 2026, Palantir is valued at $30 billion.
EventBrite
EventBrite is a company that helps organizers promote their events and sell tickets. From venues to festivals, EventBrite, large or small, is a hub where people can find interesting events happening around their area.
In 2008, Karim was part of the $2 million debt-financing deal that helped secure EventBrite’s future success.
Though it’s not on the same par as the previously mentioned companies, as of 2026, it’s valued at around $300 million.
Founded in 2005, Reddit is a platform for various interest groups where people can share advice, tips, and their thoughts regarding all kinds of topics.
To add an interesting note, Reddit was a part of Y Ventures’ incubator programs that went on to become one of the most successful social media platforms in the world, with over 91 million active users per day.
Jawed’s support helped Reddit secure financing from other venture capitalists.
As of 2026, Reddit is one of the biggest community-based platforms where people can share tips, personal thoughts, recommendations, etc. With the recent partnership with Google, the platform’s monthly traffic has soared to new heights.
Y Ventures
Formerly known as Youniversity Ventures, Jawed created his own venture fund in order to support tech entrepreneurs.
Since selling YouTube to Google, Karim has invested millions into other startups and has helped raise capital for seed investments.
Here is a table of various investments he’s raised over the years for many companies.
| Company | Stage | Date | Round Size | Total Raised |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Double | Seed | May 2024 | $3M | $16M |
| CrowdVolt | Pre Seed | Mar 2024 | $2M | $4M |
| Socket | Series A | Aug 2023 | $20M | $37M |
| Formatech | Seed | Jan 2020 | $7M | $7M |
| Rocket Money | Series B | Oct 2019 | $15M | |
| Series A | Oct 2018 | $5M | $67M | |
| Gustav | Seed | Jan 2017 | $980K | $1.6M |
| Circle Medical | Seed | Nov 2015 | $3M | $11M |
| Ambronite | Seed | Sep 2015 | $600K | $600K |
| Videopixie | Seed | May 2015 | $1M | $2.1M |
| DataFox | Seed | Feb 2014 | $2M | $9M |
| Seed | Oct 2013 | |||
| Postmates | Seed | Apr 2012 | $1M | $140M |
| Qwiki | Series A | Jan 2011 | $8M | |
| Seed | Jul 2010 | $2M | $11M | |
| inDinero | Seed | Sep 2010 | $1M | $11M |
| Miso | Angel | May 2010 | $9M | |
| Milo | Series A | Nov 2009 | $4M | $28M |
| Airbnb | Seed | Apr 2009 | $600K | $4.9B |
| EventBrite | Debt Financing | Dec 2008 | $2M | $330M |
| TokBox | Angel | Sep 2007 | $100K | $26M |
| DotBlu | Angel | Jan 2007 | $250K | $250K |
Jawed Karim’s Comments on YouTube
Despite his preference to keep a private life away from the public, Jawed does comment here and there about YouTube’s changes.
In 2013, when YouTube began requiring Google + accounts to comment on videos Jawed stated “why the fuck do i need a Google+ account to comment on a video?” further adding “I can’t comment here anymore, since I don’t want a Google+ account” regarding YouTube’s first ever video “Me at the zoo”.
After public outcry and pressure, YouTube decided to roll back changes.
Jawed has also made his disapproval known about the direction the platform was heading when it removed the dislike button in 2021, stating “When every YouTuber agrees that removing dislikes is a stupid idea, it probably is. Try again, YouTube🤦‍♂️.”
However, YouTube still hasn’t brought back the dislike button as of 2026.
As shown in his statements, Karim still cares about his creation and is not afraid to voice his concerns and opinions regarding YouTube’s changes. However, he’s doing his own thing for the most part and is still dedicated to supporting other platforms and technologies that might bring a big change in the future.
Jawed Karim’s Future Goals
Despite YouTube’s latest hiccups, Jawed lives a comfortable life as an angel investor for tech companies and continues to invest in potential startups that could be a unicorn.
Some of his most recent investments and involvements are:
Double
Double is one of Jawed’s recent projects. It’s a platform where busy professionals and executives can hire assistants who can manage their schedules and administrative tasks remotely.
Double recently raised a seed capital of $3 million.
CrowdVolt
One of the more exciting companies, CrowdVolt aims to help communities pool energy resources and build more efficient and renewable energy.
Jawed has helped the company raise $2 million in investments in March 2024.
Socket
Lastly, we have Socket, a company that specializes in providing secure and open source development tools for software engineers.
In 2023, they raised over $20 million in Series A investments, making it one of Jawed’s larger investments and contributions in the 2020s.
However, Jawed hasn’t reached the same level of success in his more recent investments, perhaps given enough time, his new ventures will pan out well in the coming years.
Final Thoughts
Despite being a legend among YouTubers and tech enthusiasts, Jawed Karim is an interesting case. He does not appear in a lot of interviews and public media and doesn’t even have an active social media presence.
However, his contribution to the world speaks for itself with notable companies such as Reddit, Palantir, and AirBnB which are worth billions of dollars.
Time will tell when he’s ready to step back into the spotlight if his new ventures and projects go on to become multi-billion dollar companies. Jawed’s legacy is still in the making for this creator of YouTube.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about Jawed Karim
When Was Jawed Karim Born?
Jawed Karim was born on October 28th, 1979, in Merseburg, East Germany. His parents later moved to the U.S in 1992, when he was 12 years old turning 13.
His zodiac sign is Scorpio and his Chinese zodiac sign is Sheep.
Based on his zodiac sign, some common traits such as his ambition, mysteriousness, and determination are pretty spot on.
Jawed Karim Net Worth
Jawed Karim is a multi-millionare with an estimated net worth ranging from $140-310 million. Some lower estimates put his net worth below $100 million, however given his early stock ownership in YouTube and $1.65 billion dollar exit in 2006, it’s most likely significantly higher than his valued share of $64 million at that time.
His earlier investments in Airbnb, Palantir, Reddit, and EventBrite added to his net worth as they have gone on to become multi-billion dollar companies.
He is also the owner of Y Ventures, a venture fund for startups and tech companies, but news related to his venture fund is pretty scarce and minimal.
What Does Jawed Karim Do Now?
As the owner of Y Ventures, Jawed Karim currently invests in different startup companies. He is an angel investor who helps entrepreneurs build tech businesses. While there are small news here and there about funding the seed capital for a few startups, there hasn’t been a big splash regarding news of his personal life and business.
Jawed Karim Ethnicity & Nationality
Jawed Karim is of Bangladeshi and German descent, however, he is a citizen of the United States of America. While he does pass as German/European, his tan and darker features from his Bangladeshi side are prominent and visible.
Due to his ethnic origin, Karim did face slight discrimination while growing up in Germany when the country wasn’t as diverse and global as it is now.
Jawed Karim Family
Born to Naimul Karim – his father, and Christine Karim, Jawed is a son of immigrants. His father is of Bangladeshi background and his mother is German.
Public information about his family is not widely known, but according to sources, his father is a researcher and his mother is a biochemistry scientist. They moved to the United States in 1992 due to racism when living in East and West Germany.
Jawed also has a younger brother, whose information details are not well known.
Jawed Karim Girlfriend/Wife
According to some vague sources, he is dating Kia Abdullah, a British author, but any information surrounding their relationship isn’t well known or public.
Did Jawed Karim Graduate College?
Yes, Jawed Karim graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a bachelor’s in Computer Science.
He then went on to get his master’s degree from Stanford University.