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Ask HN: Do bootstrapped billion-dollar companies exist?

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Re: Ask HN: Do bootstrapped billion-dollar companies exist?

#41
post #34
post #16

GoDaddy was entirely bootstrapped before a large chunk of it was sold to private equity firms in 2011. The founder self-funded it based on a $MM sale of a previous company, though - so they're awfully nice boots to be strapped up by. :) As a result of being bootstrapped, the 2011 sale single-handedly put its founder, Bob Parsons, on the Forbes billionaires list: http://www.forbes.com/profile/bob-parsons/

I am pretty sure Parson's previous company, Parson's Technology, was boostrapped as well. He used, and apparently nearly lost, the millions he earned on that sale to fund GoDaddy until it was profitable.

GoDaddy is actually not profitable.

In 2013 the company lost $199.88 million and in 2012 they lost $279 million .

http://techcrunch.com/2014/06/09/godaddy-files-for-100m-ipo/

(just a minor correction as I am not the biggest fan of GoDaddy)

Re: Ask HN: Do bootstrapped billion-dollar companies exist?

#42
post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am pretty sure Parson's previous company, Parson's Technology, was boostrapped as well. He used, and apparently nearly lost, the millions he earned on that sale to fund GoDaddy until it was profitable.

GoDaddy is actually not profitable. In 2013 the company lost $199.88 million and in 2012 they lost $279 million . http://techcrunch.com/2014/06/09/godaddy-files-for-100m-ipo/ (just a minor correction as I am not the biggest fan of GoDaddy)

I think the key point here is that it was profitable for the founder :)

Re: Ask HN: Do bootstrapped billion-dollar companies exist?

#47
Walmart was bootstrapped, starting with a single five-and-dime store. It went public, but to the best of my knowledge, never took on institutional investment prior to that. Say what you will about the company and its business practices today, but the founder's accomplishment was remarkable.
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