- Bumble’s Whitney Wolfe Herd, 31, is the youngest female CEO to take a company public.
- Less than a decade ago, she filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Tinder, which she cofounded.
- “This is the day that I reclaim my own narrative,” Wolfe Herd tells Insider.
On Thursday morning, Whitney Wolfe Herd not only became a self-made billionaire, but she also became the youngest female CEO to take a company public. Wolfe Herd, 31, launched the female-focused dating app in 2014 with the aim of creating an empowering experience for women to make the first move.
Bumble shares surged on the Nasdaq on Thursday and closed up nearly 64% after raising $2.2 billion in its IPO. The public debut was not just a milestone for the Austin, Texas-based company. It’s also seen as a major win for female founders in corporate America. Research by Insider and Nasdaq found that only 21 companies actively trading had women founders who led them to an IPO. After Thursday’s IPO, Wolfe Herd becomes No. 22 on the short list.
Always one to buck the trend, Wolfe Herd, 31, also rang the Nasdaq opening bell with her 1-year-old son in her arms and was 47 minutes late to this Insider interview because, well, the family came first.
