Reed Hastings
Co-founder of Netflix who turned DVD-by-mail into global streaming
- Age
- 66 yrs
- Birthday in 337 days
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Reed Hastings is an American entrepreneur who co-founded Netflix with Marc Randolph in 1997 as a DVD rental-by-mail service and led its transformation into the world’s largest subscription streaming service and a major producer of films and series. He became chairman in 2023.
Biography
Background
Hastings studied mathematics at Bowdoin College, taught maths in Swaziland with the Peace Corps and earned a master’s in computer science at Stanford.
Pure Software
He founded Pure Software in 1991, which made debugging tools and merged into Rational Software.
Netflix
In 1997 he and Marc Randolph founded Netflix. Subscribers rented DVDs by mail without late fees. Netflix launched streaming in 2007, expanded worldwide and began producing original series such as House of Cards (2013).
Culture and philanthropy
Netflix’s culture of “freedom and responsibility” was described in a famous slide deck and his book No Rules Rules (2020). He handed the CEO role to Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters in 2023 and funds education causes.
Timeline
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1960
Born in Boston, Massachusetts, United States
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1991
Founds Pure Software
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1997
Co-founds Netflix
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2002
Netflix goes public
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2007
Streaming launched
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2013
House of Cards
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2016
Netflix expands to 130 new countries
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2023
Becomes executive chairman
Notable works
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2020
No Rules Rules Book
With Erin Meyer.
Did you know?
-
1
A popular story says a $40 late fee inspired Netflix, though co-founder Randolph disputes it.
-
2
He served on Microsoft’s and Facebook’s boards.
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3
He was president of the California State Board of Education.
Connections
Also born on 8 October
-
Dhruv Rathee
Creators & Influencers · YouTuber known for explainers on social, political and environmental issues
1994
-
JJ Valaya
Fashion & Beauty · Couturier known for royal, Indo-Ottoman-inspired design
1967
-
Terry Gou
Technology · Founder of Foxconn, the world’s largest electronics manufacturer
1950
Frequently asked
Who is Reed Hastings?
Reed Hastings is an American entrepreneur who co-founded Netflix with Marc Randolph in 1997 as a DVD rental-by-mail service and led its transformation into the world’s largest subscription streaming service and a major producer of films and series. He became chairman in 2023.
How old is Reed Hastings?
Reed Hastings is 66 years old, born on 8 October 1960 in Boston, Massachusetts, United States.
Where is Reed Hastings from?
Reed Hastings was born in Boston, Massachusetts, United States.
What is Reed Hastings known for?
Reed Hastings is best known for Co-founding Netflix (1997); streaming and original series; Netflix culture deck.
References
- Reed Hastings — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Reed Hastings — Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Reed Hastings — IMDb. IMDb. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Reed Hastings (Q7306657) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Reed Hastings”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more
External links
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editorial team; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal under our editorial policy
- First published 4 November 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Reed Hastings.” TrackFame, last updated 4 November 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/reed-hastings
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