Joseph Gebbia

Co-Founder & Director, Airbnb

Search every verified Joseph Gebbia interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Joe Gebbia, co-founder of Airbnb, has been involved in a range of activities spanning his company's history and a recent government role. In a 2016 interview, Gebbia discussed the early challenges of Airbnb, noting that 10 out of 20 Silicon Valley investors they were introduced to replied, five met for coffee, and "zero invested in us," calling 2008 "the worst year of my life." He also described the company's early funding, stating that they sold 500 boxes of "Obama O's" cereal at $40 each, making over $20,000 to fund the business. In a 2012 talk, Gebbia recounted how Airbnb mobilized during Hurricane Sandy, saying the company "waived our fees on the other 20,000 available listings on the East Coast" and implemented a way for hosts to volunteer space to people in need. He described the platform's impact as "all started on one single inflatable airbed in my living room." In May 2026, Gebbia appeared at a healthcare affordability event with President Donald Trump, where Trump referred to him as "the genius behind the world-class website" and "Chief Design Officer of the United States." During the event, Gebbia demonstrated the TrumpRx.gov website, describing features such as "presidential deals" with discounts on brand-name drugs, a map search for pharmacy prices, and a new home delivery partnership. He stated that the site had saved Americans "$400 million" and that the work was done under Trump's "America by Design Executive Order." Earlier, in a 2011 presentation, Gebbia said that 60% of Airbnb's business was international and that the company had "100,000 properties around the planet" with "over 3 million nights booked."