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© History Oasis
2006-Present
Daniel Ek co-founded Spotify in 2006 and became its first tech CEO. He's held that role ever since. Born in 1983 in Stockholm, he built his first website at 14 and launched his first company while still a teenager.
The backstory is ridiculous. Before Spotify, Ek ran µTorrent, the software millions used to pirate music. The man who now leads the world's biggest legal streaming service once helped people steal songs. After selling his advertising company Advertigo to TradeDoubler in 2006, Ek got rich enough to retire at 23. He tried it. And hated it.
Ek watched Napster get shut down, then watched Kazaa take its place. He realized you can't stop piracy with laws. The only solution: build something better than piracy that actually pays artists. That became Spotify.
He teamed up with Martin Lorentzon (who became chairman, never CEO). The two bonded over an unusual problem. They were both depressed, caused by sudden wealth and no purpose. They funded Spotify themselves because no investors wanted them. Ek didn't even know he needed permission from record labels to stream their music. He spent months negotiating. The labels who agreed got 18% of the company.
The controversies piled up. In 2022, 270 scientists and healthcare workers demanded that Spotify moderate Joe Rogan's podcast for spreading COVID misinformation. In 2020, musicians, including Dee Snider and Mike Mills, told Ek to "go f**k yourself" after he suggested artists should just release more content to make money on the platform.
Ek tried buying Arsenal FC in 2021. That failed. In 2016, he and Lorentzon threatened to move Spotify out of Sweden unless the government cut taxes and changed housing policies.
As of May 2025, Ek's net worth is $9.2 billion. Not bad for someone who got rich helping people steal music, then got richer convincing them to pay for it.
2026-*
On September 30, 2025, Spotify announced that Ek will become Executive Chairman on January 1, 2026. Gustav Söderström and Alex Norström will become co-CEOs.
Söderström runs Product and Technology. Norström runs Business. They've been running daily operations as co-presidents since 2023. This announcement just matches their titles to reality.
Ek will stay involved. He'll focus on strategy, capital allocation, and long-term decisions. Both new co-CEOs have worked at Spotify for over 15 years.
The timing matters. Spotify just posted its first full year of profitability. Ever.
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