# Jawed Karim > American co-founder of YouTube (born 1979) **Wikidata**: [Q76694](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q76694) **Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jawed_Karim) **Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/jawed-karim ## Summary Jawed Karim is an American-German computer scientist and entrepreneur best known as a co-founder of YouTube. Born in 1979 in Merseburg, East Germany, he played a pivotal role in creating one of the world’s largest online video platforms while also contributing to early developments at PayPal and Google. ## Biography - **Born**: October 28, 1979, in Merseburg, German Democratic Republic - **Nationality**: United States, Germany - **Education**: University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign; Stanford University; St. Paul Central High School - **Known for**: Co-founding YouTube - **Employer(s)**: Google, PayPal Mafia - **Field(s)**: Computer Science, Software Engineering, Internet Technology ## Contributions Jawed Karim co-founded YouTube in February 2005 alongside Chad Hurley and Steve Chen. He uploaded the first-ever YouTube video titled “Me at the zoo” on April 23, 2005. His technical insights were instrumental in developing the platform's infrastructure during its formative stages. Prior to YouTube, Karim worked at PayPal, where he contributed to real-time anti-fraud systems—a period that placed him among members of the so-called "PayPal Mafia." After Google acquired YouTube in 2006, Karim continued to advise on product development and scalability challenges. Beyond his corporate roles, he maintained a personal YouTube channel focused on educational content around finance and engineering, amassing millions of followers over time. ## FAQs ### Q: Who is Jawed Karim? A: Jawed Karim is a German-American computer scientist and entrepreneur who co-founded YouTube in 2005. He is recognized for uploading the site’s very first video and shaping key aspects of its early architecture. ### Q: Where did Jawed Karim go to school? A: Jawed Karim studied at the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign and Stanford University after attending St. Paul Central High School in Minnesota. ### Q: Is Jawed Karim still involved with YouTube? A: While no longer actively managing YouTube, Karim remains connected through advisory roles post-acquisition by Google and continues to maintain a popular personal YouTube channel. ## Why They Matter Jawed Karim fundamentally transformed how people consume and share digital media by helping create YouTube, now one of the most visited websites globally. As both a visionary technologist and hands-on developer, he helped establish the foundation for user-generated video sharing—an innovation that revolutionized entertainment, education, journalism, and communication across cultures. Without his contribution, modern social media landscapes might look vastly different, particularly regarding accessibility and scale of global video distribution networks. ## Notable For - Co-founding YouTube in 2005 - Uploading the first YouTube video (“Me at the zoo”) - Being part of the influential "PayPal Mafia" group of tech entrepreneurs - Amassing over 5 million subscribers on his personal YouTube channel - Advising major tech companies including Google after acquisition of YouTube ## Body ### Early Life and Education Jawed Karim was born on October 28, 1979, in Merseburg, then part of the German Democratic Republic. He later moved to the United States, where he pursued higher education at prestigious institutions such as the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign and Stanford University. ### Career Beginnings Before co-founding YouTube, Karim worked at PayPal, where he developed real-time anti-fraud detection technologies. This experience positioned him within the circle known as the "PayPal Mafia," which included other prominent figures like Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, and Reid Hoffman. ### Founding of YouTube In February 2005, Karim joined Chad Hurley and Steve Chen to launch YouTube, aiming to simplify the process of uploading, viewing, and sharing videos online. On April 23, 2005, Karim posted the platform’s inaugural video—“Me at the zoo”—marking the beginning of what would become a cultural phenomenon. ### Post-Acquisition Role Following Google's $1.65 billion acquisition of YouTube in November 2006, Karim transitioned into an advisory capacity, focusing on strategic guidance rather than daily operations. Despite stepping back from active management, his influence persisted through ongoing consultations and support for core engineering decisions. ### Personal YouTube Presence Karim maintains a highly followed personal YouTube channel under the handle `@jawed`, primarily featuring analytical commentary on economics, investing, and engineering topics. By 2025, his subscriber count exceeded 5.7 million, making it one of the most-subscribed individual channels on the platform. ### Recognition and Legacy Though低调 in public life compared to some peers, Karim's contributions have earned him recognition in databases such as Golden.com, VIAF, WorldCat Entities, and multiple Wikipedia editions. His legacy lies in pioneering accessible video-sharing technology that reshaped global communications and media consumption patterns. ## References 1. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013 2. [Source](https://www.youtube.com/) 3. Library of Congress Control Number 4. YouTube API 5. [Source](https://golden.com/wiki/Jawed_Karim-NN36N6)