Founder Profile
Daniel Ek
Last reviewed: October 2026 · By Swet Parvadiya
Who is Daniel Ek?
Daniel Ek is a founder of Spotify Technology S.A., which was founded in 2006 with Martin Lorentzon.
- Company founded
- Spotify Technology S.A.
- Founded
- 2006
- Co-founders
- Martin Lorentzon
Background
Self-taught programmer from Stockholm who started web businesses as a teenager, sold Advertigo to Tradedoubler, and briefly led uTorrent before co-founding Spotify.
Founding Story
Daniel Ek (born 1983) is a Swedish entrepreneur who co-founded Spotify in 2006 and served as its CEO until December 31, 2025. Before Spotify he built and sold the online advertising company Advertigo and briefly served as CEO of uTorrent. He led Spotify through label licensing, its 2011 US launch, the 2018 NYSE direct listing and the move into podcasts and audiobooks. Since January 2026 he has been executive chairman. He also founded the investment company Prima Materia.