Eduardo Saverin: The Co-Founder Who Became a Global Investor

Table of Contents

Introduction

Eduardo Saverin is a figure in technology that has many contrasting aspects to his career. While he was one of the key figures behind creating Facebook, his name is rarely the first that springs to mind.

Despite being sidelined from the company, he has become one of the richest individuals in Asia. Eduardo Saverin has used his early struggles with Facebook to create a long-term, patient investment strategy using his position as co-founder and co-CEO of venture capital firm B Capital.

Early Life and Education

Eduardo Luiz Saverin was born on the 19 th March 1982 in São Paulo, Brazil to a wealthy Jewish family. They moved to Rio de Janeiro before moving to Florida due to concerns over safety in Brazil. Eduardo was raised in Miami, developing an early passion for working with numbers and the markets.

This passion drove him to study Economics at Harvard University, where he began working with other students which would shape his future. He also became known for his investment acumen during his time at university.

Career

Saverin helped fund the company and became chief financial officer and business manager. He would take the idea of Facebook and develop it into a profitable business. However, due to the company moving West and investors coming on board, things became strained between Eduardo and Zuckerberg.

In 2005, Eduardo’s equity was greatly reduced and he launched legal proceedings. This was resolved out of court and he was officially recognised as a co-founder however, he no longer had an active role.

Instead, Eduardo reinvented himself and moved to Singapore in 2009. He began investing in tech start-ups throughout Asia. In 2015, he and Raj Ganguly created B Capital. This has become a multi-stage global venture capital firm with offices in the U.S. and Asia. Recently they have been managing around $9 Billion in assets.

They have invested in early stage companies this year and have a portfolio that includes some early investments such as Ninja Van and Evidation Health. B Capital also have a strategic partnership with Boston Consulting Group meaning the founders of their portfolio can receive advice and connections from corporates.

Personal Life

While Saverin is based in Singapore, he gave up his American citizenship prior to Facebook’s IPO in 2012. This caused much criticism in the media. He does not give many interviews and tends to keep his personal life private.

Recently he has been reported to be involved in the 1892 Holdings group who purchased a minority stake in Liverpool Football Club showing his interest in sports and branding.

Eduardo Saverin Net Worth

His net worth varies depending on the source and current share price. Forbes have listed him as having around $35.9 Billion however, they have published higher numbers in real time. Other sources show less.

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Either way, he is widely considered to be the richest individual from Brazil and the richest in Singapore. As B Capital continues to grow, his net worth is supplemented further.

Social Media

It is ironic that as a co-founder of the biggest social network in the world, he does not have a high profile. Saverin does not post often and tends to not promote himself.

He is mainly known through B Capital announcements, conferences and the occasional interview regarding his investments.

Relationships

He married Elaine Andriejanssen, a Singapore based partner. Other than that, he has kept his family life private. However, his professional relationships have been key. His partnership with Ganguly created the basis of B Capital.

Veteran investor Howard Morgan, co-founder of First Round Capital became Chairman in 2017 adding credibility to the firm. His complicated relationship with Zuckerberg, popularised by the film The Social Network and played by Andrew Garfield, has also shaped his image.

Achievements

Saverin has not received many awards however, he has been ranked in Forbes billionaires list for over a decade. Recently, he has been named the richest individual in Singapore. His greatest achievement professionally would be creating B Capital from a family office style firm to one that can raise external funds.

This includes raising funds for their early stage series Ascent. Very few of the early Facebook individuals have had such a large second act.

Conclusion

Eduardo Saverin has shown throughout his career that losing the battle but staying in the game. Despite being sidelined at a key point in his career, he has kept his patience and taken advantage of his location and investment strategy.

Two decades on from his Harvard dorm room, Eduardo is now a footnote to the famous story along with being a key player in the global venture capital scene. The most interesting part of his story is still to come!

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