Samsung vs Twilio: Founders, CEOs and History
Samsung was founded in 1969 by Lee Byung-chul and is led by Jun Young-hyun and Roh Tae-moon. Twilio was founded in 2008 by Jeff Lawson, John Wolthuis, Evan Cooke and is led by Khozema Shipchandler.
Company facts
Founders
Samsung
Lee Byung-chul
Lee Byung-chul founded Samsung Sanghoe in Daegu in 1938, trading dried fish, produce and noodles.
Twilio
Jeff Lawson
Jeff Lawson co-founded Twilio in 2008 and was CEO until January 2024, leading it through its 2016 IPO and the SendGrid and Segment acquisitions. He wrote Ask Your Developer (2021) about developer-led software.
John Wolthuis
John Wolthuis co-founded Twilio in 2008. He architected the initial telephony backend that allowed developers to send text messages and make phone calls using a simple web API.
Evan Cooke
Evan Cooke co-founded Twilio and served as its first CTO. He was instrumental in designing the company's highly reliable cloud architecture, ensuring the API could scale to handle massive, instantaneous spikes in SMS traffic (such as during Uber surges or Airb…
CEOs and their tenures
Samsung
- Jong-Hee Han2022–2025
Vice Chairman and CEO
A longtime TV business leader who helped keep Samsung the top global TV brand. He died suddenly in March 2025 while in office.
Source - Jay Y. Lee2022–present
Executive Chairman
Grandson of the founder and son of Lee Kun-hee. He was convicted in the 2017 bribery case and pardoned in 2022, and became Executive Chairman in October 2022. In 2025 the Supreme Court upheld his acquittal in the separate merger and accounting fraud case.
Source - Jun Young-hyun2024–present
Vice Chairman, Co-Chief Executive Officer, Head of Device Solutions
He implemented a complete overhaul of the semiconductor division's engineering processes, issuing a rare public apology in 2024 for the company's technological delays.
Source - Roh Tae-moon (TM Roh)2025–present
Co-Chief Executive Officer, Head of Device eXperience
As head of the MX (Mobile eXperience) division, he heavily integrated AI features (Galaxy AI) into the S-series flagship phones to combat Apple's dominance in the premium tier.
Source
Twilio
- Jeff Lawson2008–2024
Co-founder and CEO
As the long-time CEO, he aggressively scaled the company into a $60 billion behemoth before intense pressure from activist investors forced him to resign in 2024 following growth stagnation.
Source - Aidan Viggiano2023–present
Chief Financial Officer
As CFO, she strictly enforces the new profitability mandates, cutting massive amounts of real estate and software expenses across the enterprise.
Source - Khozema Shipchandler2024–present
Chief Executive Officer
Taking over as CEO in 2024, he shifted the company's focus away from unprofitable hyper-growth toward heavily optimizing the highly lucrative core communications platform.
Source
Timeline: Samsung and Twilio side by side
1938Samsung
Samsung Group begins
Lee Byung-chul founded Samsung as a trading company before later generations expanded the group into electronics and industry.
1969Samsung
Samsung Electronics established
Samsung Electronics Industry Co. Ltd. was established as the group entered electronics manufacturing.
1977Samsung
Korea Semiconductor acquired
Samsung acquired Korea Semiconductor, a key step toward memory and component manufacturing leadership.
1993Samsung
New Management initiative
Lee Kun-hee launched the New Management push to raise quality, design, and global competitiveness.
2008Twilio
Company Founded
Jeff Lawson, Evan Cooke, and John Wolthuis founded Twilio and launched its first voice API for developers.
2010Twilio
SMS API Launched
Twilio added programmable SMS, which became its largest product line.
2015Twilio
Authy Acquired
Twilio acquired the two-factor authentication company Authy in 2015.
2016Twilio
NYSE IPO
Twilio listed on the NYSE under the ticker TWLO in June 2016, pricing shares at $15.
2017Samsung
Harman acquisition closes
Samsung completed the Harman acquisition, expanding into connected car systems and premium audio.
2019Twilio
SendGrid Acquisition
Twilio completed its all-stock acquisition of email platform SendGrid, announced at about $2 billion.
2020Twilio
Segment Acquisition
Twilio acquired customer data platform Segment for about $3.2 billion, its largest deal.
2021Twilio
Revenue Passes $2.8 Billion
Twilio reported FY2021 revenue of $2.842 billion, up 61% year over year, with a net loss of $949.9 million.
2022Samsung
Jong-Hee Han becomes CEO
Jong-Hee Han became CEO of Samsung Electronics Co. in 2022. A longtime TV business leader who helped keep Samsung the top global TV brand.
2023Twilio
Restructuring
Twilio cut about 17% of its workforce in February 2023 and made further reductions later in the year as it shifted toward profitability.
2024Samsung
Jun Young-hyun becomes CEO
Jun Young-hyun became CEO of Samsung Electronics Co. in 2024. Head of the semiconductor (Device Solutions) division and memory business; sole CEO for part of 2025 after Han Jong-hee's death, then co-CEO with TM Roh from November 2025.
2024Twilio
CEO Transition
Co-founder Jeff Lawson stepped down as CEO in January 2024 and Khozema Shipchandler succeeded him.
2025Samsung
TM Roh joins Young Hyun Jun as co-CEO
Samsung named TM Roh Head of Device eXperience and CEO, joining Young Hyun Jun as co-CEO.
2025Samsung
Annual revenue reaches ~$237B (KRW 333.6T)
Samsung Electronics reported ~$237 billion (KRW 333.6 trillion) in 2025 annual revenue and ~$31 billion (KRW 43.6 trillion) in operating profit.
2025Samsung
Roh Tae-moon (TM Roh) becomes CEO
Roh Tae-moon (TM Roh) became CEO of Samsung Electronics Co. in 2025. Longtime head of the mobile business.
2025Twilio
First Full-Year GAAP Profit and Stytch Deal
Twilio reported FY2025 revenue of $5.067 billion and net income of $33.8 million, and completed its acquisition of identity platform Stytch on November 14, 2025.
2026Twilio
Growth Re-accelerates
Twilio reported Q2 2026 revenue of $1.50 billion, up 22%, and raised its 2026 revenue growth outlook to 18%-18.5%.
Acquisitions
Samsung
- FlaktGroup2025$1.7B
- Xealth2025Undisclosed
- Harman International2017$8B
- SmartThings2014$200M
Questions about Samsung vs Twilio
Who is the CEO of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and Twilio Inc.?
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is led by Jun Young-hyun and Roh Tae-moon and Twilio Inc. is led by Khozema Shipchandler. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. founded vs Twilio Inc.?
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. was founded in 1969 — 39 years before Twilio Inc., which was founded in 2008. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Twilio Inc..
How many employees does Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. have compared to Twilio Inc.?
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. employs approximately 259,149 people, while Twilio Inc. employs approximately 5,492. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. has the larger workforce at 259,149 employees, compared to Twilio Inc.'s 5,492. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and Twilio Inc. headquartered?
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is headquartered in South Korea and Twilio Inc. is headquartered in United States. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and Twilio Inc.?
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. was founded by Lee Byung-chul. Twilio Inc. was founded by Jeff Lawson, John Wolthuis, Evan Cooke.
Which company has a longer operating history — Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. or Twilio Inc.?
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. has been operating for approximately 57 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Twilio Inc. has been in operation for around 18 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 Samsung vs Twilio overview