Meet Brian Chesky, man who quit his stable job, struggled to pay rent, built Airbnb, faced investor rejection, until cereal boxes helped keep the company alive

Brian Chesky had a good job, secure career, and a future that many people would have been happy with. But the industrial designer didn't feel satisfied with the path in front of him. He eventually left his job, moved to San Francisco with little money and took a chance on an unusual idea that started with a struggle to pay rent. That idea, which began with three mattresses in an apartment, eventually became Airbnb

The company transformed the way millions of people travel and turned Chesky into one of the world's best-know entrepreneurs. Today, he remains closely associated with the company he helped build from the ground up.

Why did he leave his job?

Before becoming an entrepreneur, he worked as an industrial designer in Los Angeles after graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). His education had encouraged him to believe that designers could create things that can change the world.


However, his job left him questioning whether he wanted to spend his life following the same routine. In an interview with Startups.com, he recalled what he described as a "weird feeling of morality" while thinking about his daily life.

He said that he had reached a point where he thought, "This is my life." The office routine and commute made him wonder if there was something more he wanted to do.

Chesky then resigned from his job. He packed a foam bed into his Honda Civic and drove to San Francisco, where he planned a stay with his college friend Joe Gebbia.

How did Airbnb's idea come up?

He arrived in San Francisco with very little money. He reportedly had around $1,000 in his bank account, while his share of the rent was higher than that amount.

Then an opportunity appeared in an unlikely form. A major design conference was scheduled to take place in San Francisco, bringing thousands of visitors to the city. Hotels were almost booked. Gebbia came up with an idea. The two friends could put mattresses in their apartment and rent the available space to conference visitors. They could also offer breakfast.

That small experiment became the starting point for Airbnb.

But, the start was difficult, as they struggled to convince investors. The founders accumulated thousands of dollars in credit card debt while facing repeated rejections.

In an unusual attempt to raise money, they created and sold specially designed cereal boxes linked to the 2008 US presidential election. The idea generated enough money to help them continue working in the setup.

They later took professional photographs of homes themselves. The simple change helped improve the listing and contributed to an increase in the bookings.

What is his net worth?

According to Forbes, Brian Chesky's net worth is $11.3 billion.

What started as three mattresses in a San Francisco apartment became a global travel platform, as it connected hosts and guests around the world.