Early Life and Education
Joseph Todd Lonsdale V, known as Joe Lonsdale, was born in Fremont, California, in 1982 or 1983. He grew up in a competitive environment and graduated from Stanford University in 2004 with a degree in computer science. During his time at Stanford, he served as editor-in-chief of The Stanford Review, a student-run newspaper.
Rise to Success
Lonsdale's career began with an internship at PayPal. He later worked at Clarium Capital, a hedge fund founded by Peter Thiel, who became his mentor. In 2003, Lonsdale co-founded Palantir Technologies with Thiel, Alex Karp, Stephen Cohen, and Nathan Gettings. Palantir, a data mining and defense technology company, was a pivotal moment in his career. He left Palantir in 2009.
After Palantir, he co-founded Addepar, a wealth management technology platform. He also co-founded the venture capital firm Formation 8 in 2011, followed by 8VC in 2015. Lonsdale has invested in numerous successful companies through 8VC.
Key Business Strategies
Lonsdale's business strategy centers around identifying and investing in technology companies. His venture capital firm, 8VC, focuses on early-stage investments in various sectors, including defense, healthcare, and enterprise software. His focus on building and scaling mission-driven technology businesses has been a key driver of his success.
Philanthropy
Lonsdale is actively involved in philanthropy. He founded the Cicero Institute, a conservative think tank focused on public policy. He also co-founded the University of Austin, a new university dedicated to freedom of thought and discussion.
