10: Reed Hastings

Executive Chairman: Netflix

Reed Hastings is the co-founder and Executive Chairman of Netflix. He co-founded Netflix in 1997, transforming it from a DVD rental service to a leading streaming platform. Holding degrees in Mathematics and Computer Science, Hastings became Executive Chairman in 2023 after 25 years as its CEO. He is also responsible for founding Pure Software, a leading company that made tools for software developers. 

Under his leadership, Netflix has revolutionised the entertainment industry, pioneering original content and global streaming services. “Technology has been the story of human progress from as long back as we know,” he says. “In 100 years people will look back on now and say: That was the Internet Age.”