Jawed Karim (b. 1979) is a German-American computer scientist, software engineer, and entrepreneur best known as a co-founder of the video-sharing platform YouTube. In April 2005 he uploaded the site's first-ever video, helping to launch what would become one of the most influential media platforms of the internet era. [1]
Early life and education
Jawed Karim was born on October 28, 1979, in Merseburg, in what was then East Germany. [1] His family emigrated to the United States in 1992 and settled in Minnesota, where he attended St. Paul Central High School. He went on to study computer science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and later pursued graduate study at Stanford University. [1]
Early career at PayPal
Before founding YouTube, Karim worked as an early engineer at the online payments company PayPal. There he met Chad Hurley and Steve Chen, colleagues with whom he would later collaborate. His work on internet systems and web applications during this period shaped the technical ideas he brought to his next venture. [1]
Founding YouTube
In 2005, Karim co-founded YouTube together with Hurley and Chen. On April 23, 2005, he uploaded the platform's first video, an eighteen-second clip titled "Me at the zoo," filmed at the San Diego Zoo and posted to his channel, "jawed." [1][2] The short video remains the oldest on the site.
Unlike his co-founders, Karim took a less active day-to-day role in the company, choosing to continue his studies while serving as an adviser. When Google acquired YouTube in 2006, he received a significant equity stake. [1]
Later ventures
After YouTube's success, Karim co-founded an early-stage investment fund that backed technology startups. He has generally maintained a low public profile, occasionally speaking on entrepreneurship and the history of online video. [1]
Legacy
Karim is widely recognized as one of the pioneers of online video sharing. "Me at the zoo" is frequently cited as a landmark moment in internet history, symbolizing the rise of user-generated video and the participatory culture that YouTube helped popularize. [2]
