Andrew McCollum is an American entrepreneur and computer software engineer with a net worth of $20 million. He is also an entrepreneur and angel investor. He worked with Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg to create the platform. He and Zuckerberg met at Harvard College and worked together from 2004 to 2006.
After parting ways with Zuckerberg, Andrew returned to college to complete his course. Andrew graduated from Harvard in 2007 with a degree in computer science. He participated in the 31st ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest in Tokyo.
Are you curious why Andrew McCollum abandoned such a big opportunity? Delve into his wealth journey. Learn about his lifestyle, philanthropy, and how he compares to fellow Facebook billionaires.
The Story of Andrew McCollum: Co-founder of Facebook
Early Life and Education
Andrew McCollum was born on December 26, 1979, in California. He is the only child of Sally McCollum and David McCollum. He was raised in California before moving to Massachusetts to study Computer Science.
Growing up, McCollum always showed interest in technology. Even before going to Harvard, he was already conversant with his field of study. He graduated from high school in 1997 and enrolled at Harvard University.
He hit a pause in 2004 to work on Facebook. The Facebook team included Mark Zuckerberg, Eduardo Saverin, Dustin Moskovitz, and Chris Hughes.
The team created today’s largest social media network. Andrew worked with Facebook for two years and quit to go back to college. He graduated with an A.B. in Computer Science in 2007.
Path to Facebook: McCollum’s Leap into the Silicon Valley
In 2004, Andrew McCollum met his fellow student, Mark Zuckerberg. Mark was developing a social media platform at the time. Though Andrew was quite good at graphics design, he had never worked on such a promising project. McCollum was part of the network’s initial interface, designing Facebook’s prototype.
McCollum created the logo and picked the signature blue color. He also designed most of the specific icons Facebook uses to date. The project required a lot of time. This forced McCollum to pause his studies for two years to work on Facebook.
Within these two years, Andrew McCollum partnered with Adam D’angelo to create Wirehog. Wirehog was a file-sharing program that made friend-to-friend file-sharing seamless. The program was later integrated into Facebook.
On its own, Wirehog was just another piece of software. But it made Facebook a real social media network. Facebook would never make sense if friends used different programs to share files. Wirehog was shut down in 2006 as Facebook continued to build traction.
Wirehog was the innovational feature that made Facebook famous among friends and relatives. It made Facebook reliable and fun as a social media platform. This creation was a significant addition to Andrew McCollum’s portfolio.
A Dive Into Andrew McCollum’s Net Worth
Other Entrepreneurial Ventures
Looking at how promising Facebook was, McCollum’s departure was unexpected. Most of the founders who stayed have billions of dollars in net worth. He parted ways with the platform’s founding team and returned to college in 2006. McCollum was not satisfied with being a staff member in the company.
After college, McColum partnered with Dane Hurtbise and Keller Rinaudo to create JobSpice. Jobpice was a resume creation service designed for college students. Backed by Y Combinator, the service served over 600,000 students in the United States and Canada. It was launched in 2008 and closed in 2011.
In 2014, Andrew McCollum co-founded Philo with Tuan Ho. Philo is a live-streaming service for television programs. Andrew originally intended to create a live-streaming television service for college students. This company enables Andrew to meet with various heads of entertainment and investors. Since it was created, Philo has raised a lot of money from investors and video content producers.
It is backed by:
- Discovery
- Viacom
- A+E Networks
- AMC
- HBO
- The National Education Association
- CBC New Media Group
- Felicis Ventures
- New Enterprise Associates
- The family office of Mark Cuban, among others.
McCollum’s Investments
Andrew McCollum developed an interest in angel investing along the way. He worked with two investment companies, Flybridge Capital Partners and New Enterprise Associates. He invested in startup companies that many investors chose to write off.
As of 2019, these investments were mostly Andrew’s primary source of income. His gambles turned out to be more profitable than he thought. As of early 2020, McCollum had invested in 18 startups and exited nine. His notable angel investment projects include Blueleaf, Local Bushel, and Philo.
In 2014, he became the CEO of the TV live-streaming service Philo.
Insights Into McCollum’s Lifestyle and Philanthropy
How Andrew McCollum Spends His Wealth
Though he created one of the largest social media sites, Andrew likes to keep his personal life private. The tech guru is married to sociologist Gretchen Sisson and has two children. Though not officially confirmed, the two met during Andrew’s time in college. They wedded in 2012 in a small, less-broadcasted event. He also invests in real estate.
McCollum’s Contribution to the Society
Andrew McCollum is known for supporting different philanthropic causes. Most of the causes he has funded are not mentioned publicly. His company, Philo, has become quite philanthropic. In 2020, McCollum donated $1 million through Philo. He donated the money in advertising inventory to black-owned businesses.
Andrew McCollum’s Net Worth Against Other Facebook Co-Founders
McCollum vs. Zuckerberg: A Battle of Wealth
Mark Zuckerberg and Andrew McCollum built Facebook together in 2004. Before Facebook, the two were nobodies in terms of wealth. Zuckerberg launched Facebook in 2004 with a $500,000 investment from Peter Thiel. Andrew worked on the platform’s prototype. The interface, logos, icons, and the signature blue color were all McCollum.
Two years later, Andrew exited the company and returned to school. Today, their net worth difference is like a river and an ocean. Mark Zuckerberg’s net worth of $106.2 billion makes him the world’s 10th richest person. McCollum is worth $20 million.
Net Worth Comparison with Other Facebook Co-founders
Among the co-founders of Facebook, Andrew McCollum has the least wealth. The founding team included Eduardo Saverin, Dustin Moskovitz, and Chris Hughes.
After Zuckerberg, Saverin is the second-richest Facebook co-founder. He has a net worth of $16.7 billion, most of which comes from his stake at Facebook. Eduardo Saverin is a venture capitalist. In 2016, he co-founded B Capital with Raj Ganguly. The fund has over $6.5 billion of assets under its management.
Dustin Moskovitz is the third richest Facebook co-founder, with a net worth of $11.9 billion. He left Facebook in 2008 and co-founded Asana with Justin Rosenstein. Asana is a workflow software company. It helps employers and project managers manage employees and teams. The company went public in 2020.
Dustin and his wife, Cari Tuna, built a huge philanthropic foundation, Good Ventures. The foundation donates to causes supporting health. The organization has donated millions to malaria eradication causes. Despite these ventures, Moskovitz’s primary source of wealth is his stake at Facebook.
From Andrew McCollum’s $20 million net worth comes Chris Hughes in the second last place. Hughes began working with Zuckerberg two years before the company launched officially. Like McCollum, Hughes left the Facebook team and returned to college. He returned to Facebook in 2006 and worked with the team for only a year.
Despite his small stake in the company, Chris Hughes is worth $500 million. He owns 1% of Meta Platforms.
Despite McCollum’s minimal net worth compared to other Facebook co-founders, he is still among the most successful entrepreneurs in the U.S.
Frequently Asked Questions about Andrew McCollum’s Net Worth
When Did Andrew McCollum Leave Facebook?
Mark Zuckerberg approached Andrew McCollum in 2004. He wanted him to work on the graphic design needs of Facebook. He designed the platform’s logo and interface icons. He stayed with Mark Zuckerberg and the Facebook team for two years. McCollum left Facebook in 2006 to return to college for his bachelor’s degree.
What Has Andrew McCollum Done After Leaving Facebook?
After graduating from Harvard University, Andrew McCollum worked on various start-up companies. He co-founded JobSpice, a resume-creating service aimed at helping college students. He is an entrepreneur-in-residence at New Enterprise Associates, an American venture capital firm. He is a partner at Fresh Pond Partners in Boston.
Who is Andrew McCollum’s Wife?
Andrew McCollum is married to Gretchen Sisson, a research sociologist at Amherst College. She joined the college’s board of trustees in 2023.
Final Thoughts on Andrew McCollum’s Net Worth
Andrew McCollum is an American businessman and angel investor. He co-founded the world’s largest social media platform, Facebook. He is the CEO of Philo Inc.. Philo is an internet television company with headquarters in San Francisco.
McCollum met Zuckerberg and his partners at Harvard University. He was a good graphic designer, which made him the first graphic designer to work on Facebook. He designed Facebook’s logo and interface icons. He picked the signature blue color the company uses to date. From Facebook, McCollum has worked on various projects. The American angel investor is now worth $20 million.
