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Ever wonder how a single tweet could launch a billionaire? Meet Ryan Graves, the man who turned a bold reply into a fortune.
Here’s the juicy story of how a random DM sparked a career that shaped Uber—and padded his wallet with $1.4 billion! Back on January 6, 2010, Travis Kalanick (then just an UberCab advisor) tossed out a plea on Twitter: “Looking 4 entrepreneurial product mgr/biz-dev killer 4 a location-based service.. pre-launch, BIG equity, big peeps involved–ANY TIPS??”
Minutes later, Graves—then an HR guy at GE—shot back with swagger: “Here’s a tip. Email me 🙂 graves.ryan@gmail.com” That cheeky reply? It was his golden ticket. Kalanick, impressed by the guts, hit reply, and the rest is history.
The two met up in San Francisco, and within weeks, Graves landed as Uber’s first official employee in March 2010. With no app, no drivers, and zero brand buzz, he stepped up as General Manager.
Months later, he even took the CEO reins—Kalanick was still an advisor back then. Graves built the launch playbook from scratch, recruited drivers, and kicked off Uber’s first pilot in San Francisco.
By December 2010, Kalanick took over as CEO, but Graves shifted to SVP of Global Operations, steering Uber’s wild expansion across the U.S. and beyond. As the first hire, Graves scored a hefty 5% equity stake.
When Uber went public in 2019 with a $75 billion valuation, that slice ballooned to over $1.4 billion. A tweet that cost him nothing? Now worth a fortune.
He stepped back from daily ops in 2017, stayed on the board until 2019, and cashed out $41 million during the IPO. Post-Uber, Graves launched Saltwater Capital, his own investment firm, backing startups like Metromile, Pachama, and GPX—companies tackling real-world challenges.
From being hired by a tweet to writing the checks, he’s flipped the script. Graves wasn’t a tech wizard or Silicon Valley hotshot—his resume boasted HR at GE and hotel management. But his edge? Pure hustle and initiative. Kalanick praised his grit, noting Graves thrived without a flashy pedigree.
He didn’t code the app but built the engine, city by city, with empathy for drivers and riders alike. From a $0 tweet to a $1.4 billion legacy, Graves proves boldness pays off.
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