Billionaire Profile
Steven Schuurman
Global Rank
#2938

Image: Rijksmuseum | CC0 | via Wikimedia Commons

Steven Schuurman

CEO, Software
NETHERLANDS
Real-Time Net Worth
$1.164B
Estimated based on Software stock value as of March 6, 2026
+0.42% (24h)
Age
50
Source
software
Industry
Technology
Citizenship
NETHERLANDS

Biography

Teunis Steven Schuurman (born in September 1975), is a Dutch technology entrepreneur, best known for co-founding Elastic, a leading data search and analytics company. His net worth is estimated to be $0.553 Billion (as of March 2024), and his wealth comes from software ventures. Schuurman's career began at Sogyo in 2000, and he later co-founded SpringSource, which was acquired by VMware. He served as CEO of Elastic from 2012 to 2017, and now serves as a non-executive director. His entrepreneurial drive has led to key achievements in the tech industry. He is also involved in philanthropy.

Fact Checked
Verified by Editorial Team
Live Data
Updated 3/6/2026

Wealth Over Time

In-Depth Profile

Early Life

Teunis Steven Schuurman, born in September 1975 in Delft, Netherlands, began his career in 2000 at Sogyo, a software consulting company. His early years and childhood details are not publicly available.

Rise to Success

Schuurman's entrepreneurial journey includes co-founding SpringSource in 2005, which was acquired by VMware in 2009 for $420 million. He served as CEO of JTeam and later co-founded Elastic NV (Elasticsearch) with Shay Banon, Uri Boness, and Simon Willnauer. Elastic, a search company, became one of Europe's fastest-growing technology scale-ups under his leadership. Elastic went public in October 2018.

Key Business Strategies

Schuurman's key strategies involved raising venture capital from firms like Benchmark and Index Ventures, and building a strong product portfolio for Elastic. He stepped down as CEO of Elastic in 2017 and is currently a non-executive board director at Elastic.

Philanthropy

Schuurman is committed to philanthropy and joined The Giving Pledge in 2021, focusing his resources on climate action, pandemics, and emerging technologies. He has made significant donations to political parties in The Netherlands and Germany. He also founded the Dreamery Foundation.

Career Milestones

2000

Started Career

Began career at Sogyo, a software consulting company.

2005

Co-founded SpringSource

Co-founded SpringSource, an open-source company.

2009

SpringSource Acquired

SpringSource was acquired by VMware for $420 million.

2012

Co-founded Elastic

Co-founded Elastic NV (Elasticsearch).

2012

CEO of Elastic

Served as CEO of Elastic.

2017

Stepped down as CEO

Stepped down as CEO of Elastic, and became a non-executive board member.

Philanthropy & Social Impact

Environmental/Technological

Dreamery Foundation

$750K

Supports initiatives contributing to a habitable planet, focusing on climate crisis, pandemics, and emerging technologies.

Climate Action

Donations to D66

$1.0M

Donated to D66 to support parties with comprehensive climate action plans

Climate Action

Donations to Party for the Animals

$350K

Donated to support parties with comprehensive climate action plans.

Political/Environmental

Donations to German Greens

$1.25M

Donated to the German Greens before the 2021 German Federal election.

Technological

Centre for Future Generations

Unknown

Founded with Laurens de Groot, a think tank aimed at helping decision-makers anticipate and govern rapid technological change.

Business Philosophy & Leadership

Notable Quotes

"There is a limit to how much wealth one person can or should ever consume in his or her lifetime. If you have more than you need, giving back seems like the logical course of action."

Leadership Principles

Visionary Leadership

Guiding Elastic through market trends and building a robust product portfolio.

Commitment to Open Source

Championing open-source software as a foundation for Elastic's success.

Philanthropic Focus

Dedication to using wealth for the greater good, especially in areas like climate action and emerging technologies.