U.S. technology company · large-cap · listed on Nasdaq · headquartered in San Francisco.
Clue 2 · The Numbers
Revenue around $10 billion a year, with roughly 7 million active listings across more than 220 countries and regions — not bad for a company that owns zero properties.
Clue 3 · The History
Born in 2008 when two broke designers couldn't pay rent, so they rented out air mattresses in their apartment to strangers attending a design conference.
Clue 4 · The Secret
Early survival involved selling novelty cereal boxes — "Obama O's" and "Cap'n McCains" — to fund the startup during the 2008 presidential election.
Clue 5 · The Lore
It went public in December 2020 in one of the most dramatic IPOs of that year, nearly doubling on day one despite the pandemic having crushed its business just months earlier.
Clue 6 · The Giveaway
A spare bedroom, a stranger's couch, or a castle in Scotland — this platform turned the idea of staying at a local's home into a global industry worth billions.