Vladimir 'Vlad' Tenev is a Bulgarian-American businessman, the self-made billionaire Co-founder and CEO of Robinhood Markets, Inc. (NASDAQ: HOOD), the dominant zero-commission stock trading platform. His career is rooted in elite computer science, finance, and technological disruption.

Tenev holds a B.A. in Mathematics from Stanford University and pursued graduate studies at UCLA. His philosophical approach centers on technological excellence, scale efficiency, and long-term commitment to financial democratization (pioneering the zero-commission, mobile-first trading model). He co-founded Robinhood in 2013 with his partner, Baiju Bhatt.

• Robinhood Markets, Inc. (Co-founder & CEO): The core publicly traded asset, a global leader in zero-commission stock, option, and cryptocurrency trading.
• Fintech Pioneer: His success is built on scale software development and dominating the market for millennial and retail stock trading (a major disruption to legacy brokerage firms).
• Academic Background: He holds a B.A. in Mathematics from Stanford University.
• Controversy/Crisis: His career is marked by regulatory scrutiny and public controversy related to trading halts and gamification of investing (reflecting the high-stakes environment of fintech).

Vlad Tenev's strategic genius was his commitment to eliminating entry barriers in finance. He co-founded Robinhood in 2013, successfully building it into the dominant retail trading platform by pioneering the zero-commission trading model. His structural contribution is immense: pioneering the modern fintech brokerage model that democratized access to the U.S. capital markets for millions of young and retail investors. The company successfully executed its IPO on the NASDAQ in 2021.

He remains Co-founder and CEO, guiding the company's continuous expansion and technological modernization. His wealth is secured by the colossal, long-term, stable profitability of the global fintech and brokerage sector.

Vlad Tenev's social impact stems from Robinhood's role in pioneering zero-commission trading, which dramatically lowered the cost of entry for retail investors and accelerated financial market participation. His personal philanthropy supports various educational and community initiatives, often focused on financial literacy and technology access.

His personal philanthropy supports various community and educational initiatives.

Vlad Tenev maintains the professional, composed style of a technology executive. His attire is consistently formal and high-quality, favoring tailored suits. His aesthetic reflects serious authority and intellectual depth, typical of a pioneer in the specialized fintech sector.

Residing in San Francisco, California, his luxury is the immense security and financial reward derived from his multi-billion dollar fortune. His life is dedicated to technology innovation, strategic management, and fintech entrepreneurship.