Eric S. Yuan is a Chinese-American entrepreneur, the self-made billionaire founder and CEO of Zoom Video Communications (NASDAQ: ZM), the global leader in remote collaboration. Born in 1970 in Shandong Province, China, he obtained a Master's degree in Mining Engineering before moving to the U.S. in the mid-1990s.

Yuan's career is defined by his profound commitment to video technology. He was one of the founding engineers and Vice President of Engineering at Webex (a leading web conferencing service), where he worked from 1997 until its acquisition by Cisco Systems in 2007. His frustration with the clunky, friction-filled nature of existing collaboration software, coupled with a desire to deliver happiness, sparked his entrepreneurial vision for Zoom.

Eric Yuan founded Zoom Video Communications in June 2011 after attempting to convince Cisco management to rebuild Webex for the modern cloud era (an effort that was rejected). His strategic vision was audacious: create a video platform that was frictionless, simple, and reliable—a mission encapsulated in the goal to deliver happiness to users.

Under his leadership as CEO, Zoom achieved immense, rapid, and structural global growth, becoming the indispensable communications platform for remote work, education, and social connection, particularly during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Yuan led Zoom to one of the highest-performing tech IPOs of 2019, securing his multi-billion dollar fortune. He is a named inventor on 11 issued and 20 pending patents in real-time collaboration, cementing his legacy as the engineer who successfully revolutionized global remote communication.

Eric Yuan's social impact is massive and structural, stemming from Zoom's role in enabling global remote collaboration and continuity during periods of crisis (like the COVID-19 pandemic). The platform revolutionized workplace flexibility and digital learning.

He is recognized as Time Magazine's 2020 Businessperson of the Year and one of the 100 Most Influential People of 2020 for his immense civic contribution. His company has actively supported humanitarian aid objectives and initiatives like Pledge 1%, committing resources to social good and sustainability goals.

Eric Yuan maintains the professional, pragmatic style of a technology CEO. His attire is consistently formal and high-quality, favoring tailored business suits and simple collared shirts. His aesthetic is one of stability and composed authority, reflecting his engineering background and dedication to a frictionless product.

Residing in California, his luxury is the profound security and autonomy derived from his multi-billion dollar fortune. His life is dedicated to leveraging technology to bring people together and solve the complex logistical challenges of remote communication.