Pinterest vs Reddit: Founders, CEOs and History
Pinterest was founded in 2009 by Ben Silbermann, Evan Sharp, Paul Sciarra and is led by Bill Ready. Reddit was founded in 2005 by Steve Huffman, Alexis Ohanian, Aaron Swartz and is led by Steve Huffman.
Company facts
Founders
Ben Silbermann
Ben Silbermann co-founded Pinterest and served as CEO from its launch until June 2022, steering it through its 2019 NYSE listing. After handing day-to-day leadership to Bill Ready he became executive chairman and remains on the board.
Evan Sharp
Evan Sharp co-founded Pinterest and designed its early grid layout, in which Pins of different heights stack into columns. He later led design and creative as Chief Design and Creative Officer before stepping back from the company.
Paul Sciarra
Paul Sciarra co-founded Cold Brew Labs in 2008 with Ben Silbermann; its first product, the shopping app Tote, preceded Pinterest.
Steve Huffman
Steve Huffman co-founded Reddit in 2005 with Alexis Ohanian after Y Combinator's Paul Graham redirected their food-ordering pitch.
Alexis Ohanian
Alexis Ohanian co-founded Reddit in 2005 and drew the Snoo alien mascot. He later served as executive chairman and board member, and resigned from the board in June 2020, asking that his seat go to a Black candidate.
Aaron Swartz
Aaron Swartz joined Reddit when his startup Infogami merged with it in 2005 and helped rewrite the site in Python using his web.py framework. He left after the 2006 Conde Nast acquisition and became an internet freedom activist.
CEOs and their tenures
- Ben Silbermann2010–2022
Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer
Co-founder who led Pinterest from launch through its 2019 IPO and handed the CEO role to Bill Ready in June 2022; later a board member.
Source - Bill Ready2022–present
Chief Executive Officer
Revenue grew from $2.80 billion in 2022 to $4.22 billion in 2025 and users from about 450 million to over 600 million during his tenure, though the stock fell sharply in 2026 on tariff-related ad weakness.
Source - Julia Donnelly2023–present
Chief Financial Officer
Oversees finance, including the 2026 capital return program in which Pinterest repurchased more than $2 billion of stock in the first half of the year.
Source
- Yishan Wong2012–2014
Chief Executive Officer
Chief executive of Reddit from 2012 to 2014.
Source - Ellen Pao2014–2015
Interim Chief Executive Officer
Chief executive of Reddit from 2014 to 2015.
Source - Steve Huffman2015–present
Chief Executive Officer
During Huffman's second tenure Reddit revenue reached $2.2 billion in FY2025, up 69%, and the company posted $529.7M of net income. Advertising remains about 95% of revenue.
Source - Jennifer Wong2018–present
Chief Operating Officer
Former president of digital at Time Inc.; built Reddit's advertising sales organization and leads business operations.
Source - Drew Vollero2020–present
Chief Financial Officer
Former CFO of Snap at its 2017 IPO and of Allied Universal; oversees finance, treasury and investor relations, and led Reddit's 2024 IPO process.
Source
Timeline: Pinterest and Reddit side by side
2005Reddit
Reddit is founded
Steve Huffman and Alexis Ohanian launch Reddit after joining Y Combinator and pivoting into a user-ranked link and discussion platform.
2006Reddit
Conde Nast acquires Reddit
Conde Nast acquires Reddit, giving the young platform media-company backing while its community culture continues to form.
2009Pinterest
Pinterest Founded
Ben Silbermann, Evan Sharp and Paul Sciarra begin building Pinterest under Cold Brew Labs in San Francisco.
2010Pinterest
Invite-Only Beta Launch
Pinterest launches as a closed beta in March 2010 and grows slowly through craft and design communities.
2012Pinterest
Open Registration
Pinterest drops its invite requirement in August 2012 after rapid growth in unique visitors.
2014Pinterest
Promoted Pins Introduced
Pinterest starts testing paid Promoted Pins, its first ad product.
2015Reddit
Steve Huffman returns as CEO
Huffman returns to lead Reddit through moderation, product, and monetization changes after a period of leadership instability.
2016Pinterest
Acquired URX and Instapaper
Pinterest buys app deep-linking startup URX and read-it-later service Instapaper.
2017Pinterest
Acquired Jelly Industries
Pinterest acquires Jelly, the Q&A search startup co-founded by Biz Stone.
2019Pinterest
NYSE IPO
Pinterest lists on the NYSE in April 2019 at $19 per share, raising about $1.4 billion.
2021Pinterest
Acquired Vochi
Pinterest acquires video editing app Vochi to support creator video.
2022Pinterest
Bill Ready Becomes CEO
Former Google and PayPal executive Bill Ready succeeds Ben Silbermann as CEO in June 2022.
2023Pinterest
Amazon Ads Partnership
Pinterest signs Amazon as its first third-party ad partner, bringing Amazon product ads to the platform.
2023Reddit
API pricing backlash tests community trust
API pricing changes trigger developer protests and subreddit blackouts, underscoring Reddit's dependency on moderator and contributor goodwill.
2024Reddit
Reddit goes public
Reddit prices its IPO at $34 per share and lists on the New York Stock Exchange under RDDT.
2024Reddit
Reddit expands AI data partnerships
Reddit announces data partnerships with Google and OpenAI, making public conversation data a strategic revenue stream.
2025Pinterest
Record $4.22B Revenue
Annual revenue rises 16% to $4.22 billion and users reach 619 million.
2025Reddit
Reddit reports first major profitable public year
Reddit reports FY2025 revenue of $2.203B and net income of $529.7M.
2026Pinterest
AI Restructuring and 640M Users
Pinterest announces a cut of under 15% of staff to fund AI work, then reports a record 640 million MAUs in Q2 2026.
2026Reddit
Q1 2026 growth continues
Reddit reports Q1 2026 revenue of $663.4M, net income of $204.0M, and 126.8M daily active uniques.
2026Reddit
Q2 2026: eighth quarter above 60% growth
Reddit reports Q2 2026 revenue of $805M (up 61%), net income of $253M and 130.3M daily active uniques; shares fall about 21% as U.S. daily users dip.
Acquisitions
- THE YES2022Undisclosed
- Vochi2021Undisclosed
- Instapaper2016Undisclosed
Questions about Pinterest vs Reddit
Who is the CEO of Pinterest, Inc. and Reddit, Inc.?
Pinterest, Inc. is led by Bill Ready and Reddit, Inc. is led by Steve Huffman. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Pinterest, Inc. founded vs Reddit, Inc.?
Reddit, Inc. was founded in 2005 — 4 years before Pinterest, Inc., which was founded in 2009. Reddit, Inc.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Pinterest, Inc..
How many employees does Pinterest, Inc. have compared to Reddit, Inc.?
Pinterest, Inc. employs approximately 5,265 people, while Reddit, Inc. employs approximately 2,200. Pinterest, Inc. has the larger workforce at 5,265 employees, compared to Reddit, Inc.'s 2,200. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Pinterest, Inc. and Reddit, Inc. headquartered?
Both Pinterest, Inc. and Reddit, Inc. are headquartered in United States, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded Pinterest, Inc. and Reddit, Inc.?
Pinterest, Inc. was founded by Ben Silbermann, Evan Sharp, Paul Sciarra. Reddit, Inc. was founded by Steve Huffman, Alexis Ohanian, Aaron Swartz.
Which company has a longer operating history — Pinterest, Inc. or Reddit, Inc.?
Reddit, Inc. has been operating for approximately 21 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Pinterest, Inc. has been in operation for around 17 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Pinterest vs Reddit overview