Born in Berkeley, California, in 1988, Robert 'Bobby' Cornelius Murphy is an American Internet entrepreneur, software engineer, and the co-founder and CTO of the technology giant Snap Inc. (formerly Snapchat). His background is technical and academic: he grew up in Berkeley, attended private Catholic schools, and graduated from Stanford University in 2010 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematical and Computational Science.

His formative experience was at Stanford, where he was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity and met his co-founders, Evan Spiegel and Reggie Brown. Murphy was already deeply involved in the startup culture, having worked on a failed startup with Spiegel called Future Freshman. This collaborative, engineering-focused start was the direct predecessor to the idea that would revolutionize social media.

Bobby Murphy co-founded the disappearing-image messaging app, initially called Picaboo and later renamed Snapchat, in 2011 while he and his partners were still students at Stanford. As the Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Murphy was the engineering and research genius who built the platform's core code and led its development. Crucially, before the company could secure venture capital, Murphy famously used half of his paycheck from a software engineering job at Revel Systems to cover Snapchat's server bills—a testament to his early commitment.

Under his technical leadership, the app's popularity soared, built on its unique feature of ephemeral messaging. When the company, now renamed Snap Inc., launched its IPO in 2017, Murphy and Spiegel held a controlling stake (over 45 percent of the total stock and over 70 percent of the voting power). Murphy, who has since led the development of hardware like the Spectacles camera glasses, secured his multi-billion dollar fortune and his reputation as one of the most influential forces in consumer technology.

Bobby Murphy and co-founder Evan Spiegel are committed philanthropists through the Snap Foundation, which they established with a pledge to donate millions of shares over the next two decades. Their mission is specifically focused on the arts, education, and youth non-profits, particularly supporting underrepresented youths in Los Angeles to access the creative economy.

Snapchat itself has had a massive cultural impact, pioneering a new, more casual and visually driven form of communication. Murphy's commitment to technology and engineering excellence, which powers the platform, represents a significant structural contribution to the consumer technology sector.

Bobby Murphy maintains the sophisticated, low-key style of a successful California technology executive. His attire is functional, modern, and often features high-quality casual wear, reflecting the engineering-driven culture of the company. His aesthetic is clean and unpretentious, preferring to let the platform speak for itself.

Residing in Pacific Palisades, California, his luxury is the immense financial security and access afforded by his multi-billion dollar fortune. He has invested heavily in high-end real estate, including purchasing the former estate of actor Eddie Albert. His life is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of visual communication and technology, remaining the quiet technical force behind one of the world's most innovative media platforms.