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Kevin Kelly

Kevin Kelly

Founding executive editor of Wired magazine

28 April 1952 United States Verified by our editors
Age
74 yrs
Birthday in 173 days
Works listed
2
Book
Honours
0
Awards & distinctions
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Kevin Kelly is an American writer who was the founding executive editor of Wired magazine and earlier edited the Whole Earth Review. His books, including Out of Control and The Inevitable, and his essay “1,000 True Fans” have shaped thinking about technology and the internet.

Biography

Travels

Kelly left university and spent most of the 1970s travelling as a photographer through Asia. After a spiritual experience in Jerusalem he became a Christian.

Whole Earth

He edited the Whole Earth Review and co-organised the first Hackers’ Conference in 1984, and helped launch the WELL online community.

Wired

In 1993 he co-founded Wired with Louis Rossetto and Jane Metcalfe and was its executive editor until 1999.

Writing

His books include Out of Control (1994), What Technology Wants (2010) and The Inevitable (2016). His 2008 essay “1,000 True Fans” is widely cited by creators. He co-founded the Long Now Foundation.

Timeline

  1. 1952

    Born in Pennsylvania, United States

  2. 1984

    Co-organises the Hackers’ Conference

  3. 1993

    Wired launched

  4. 1994

    Out of Control

  5. 1999

    Leaves Wired editorship

  6. 2008

    1,000 True Fans

  7. 2016

    The Inevitable

  8. 2023

    Excellent Advice for Living

Notable works

  • 2016

    The Inevitable Book

  • 2023

    Excellent Advice for Living Book

Did you know?

  1. 1

    He co-founded the Quantified Self movement with Gary Wolf.

  2. 2

    He runs the Cool Tools website.

  3. 3

    The Matrix’s creators asked cast members to read his book Out of Control.

Connections

Frequently asked

Who is Kevin Kelly?

Kevin Kelly is an American writer who was the founding executive editor of Wired magazine and earlier edited the Whole Earth Review. His books, including Out of Control and The Inevitable, and his essay “1,000 True Fans” have shaped thinking about technology and the internet.

How old is Kevin Kelly?

Kevin Kelly is 74 years old, born on 28 April 1952 in Pennsylvania, United States.

Where is Kevin Kelly from?

Kevin Kelly was born in Pennsylvania, United States.

What is Kevin Kelly known for?

Kevin Kelly is best known for Co-founding Wired (1993); Whole Earth Review; The Inevitable; “1,000 True Fans”.

References

  1. Kevin Kelly (editor) — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
  2. Kevin Kelly (editor) — Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
  3. Kevin Kelly (editor) — Goodreads author page. Goodreads. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
  4. Official website. kk.org. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
  5. Kevin Kelly (editor) (Q2707355) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 4 November 2026.

Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Kevin Kelly (editor)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more

About this profile

Cite this page

“Kevin Kelly.” TrackFame, last updated 5 November 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/kevin-kelly

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