Tony Fadell
“Father of the iPod” and co-creator of the iPhone, founder of Nest
- Age
- 57 yrs
- Birthday in 137 days
- Works listed
- 3
- Product, Book
- Honours
- 0
- Awards & distinctions
- Profile views
- 3
- 0 followers
Tony Fadell is an American engineer and entrepreneur who led the team that created the iPod at Apple and oversaw early iPhone hardware. He then co-founded Nest Labs, maker of the Nest learning thermostat, which Google bought for $3.2 billion in 2014.
Biography
Early career
Fadell studied computer engineering at the University of Michigan. He worked at General Magic on handheld devices and at Philips, where he led mobile computing products.
The iPod
Apple hired him in 2001 to build a portable music player. Working fast with a small team, they launched the iPod in October 2001. He led the iPod division through many generations and then worked on the iPhone’s hardware.
Nest
Leaving Apple in 2010, he co-founded Nest Labs with Matt Rogers. The Nest Learning Thermostat (2011) learned users’ habits and could be controlled by phone. Google bought Nest in 2014.
Investing and writing
Fadell left Google in 2016 and founded the investment firm Future Shape. His book Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making (2022) became a bestseller.
Timeline
-
1969
Born in Detroit, Michigan, United States
-
2001
Joins Apple; iPod launched
-
2007
iPhone launched
-
2010
Leaves Apple; co-founds Nest
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2011
Nest Learning Thermostat
-
2014
Google buys Nest
-
2016
Leaves Google
-
2022
Publishes Build
Notable works
-
2001
iPod Product
Apple team he led.
-
2011
Nest Learning Thermostat Product
-
2022
Build Book
Did you know?
-
1
He has more than 300 patents.
-
2
He first pitched his music-player idea to other companies before Apple.
-
3
Google put him in charge of the Google Glass project in 2015.
Connections
Frequently asked
Who is Tony Fadell?
Tony Fadell is an American engineer and entrepreneur who led the team that created the iPod at Apple and oversaw early iPhone hardware. He then co-founded Nest Labs, maker of the Nest learning thermostat, which Google bought for $3.2 billion in 2014.
How old is Tony Fadell?
Tony Fadell is 57 years old, born on 22 March 1969 in Detroit, Michigan, United States.
Where is Tony Fadell from?
Tony Fadell was born in Detroit, Michigan, United States.
What is Tony Fadell known for?
Tony Fadell is best known for Leading the iPod team at Apple; iPhone hardware; founding Nest Labs; the book Build.
References
- Tony Fadell — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Tony Fadell — IMDb. IMDb. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Tony Fadell — Goodreads author page. Goodreads. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Tony Fadell (Q92879) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Tony Fadell”, 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
“Tony Fadell.” TrackFame, last updated 5 November 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/tony-fadell
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