What is Michael Birch's Net Worth?
Michael Birch is a British computer programmer, entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist who has a net worth of $390 million. Michael Birch is best known as the co-founder of Bebo, the social networking site he created with his wife, Xochi Birch. Launched in 2005, Bebo became one of the most popular social networks in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and New Zealand during the mid-2000s, attracting tens of millions of users at a time when Myspace, Facebook, and other early social platforms were battling for dominance. In 2008, Michael and Xochi sold Bebo to AOL for $850 million in cash, one of the most memorable internet acquisitions of the Web 2.0 era. Five years later, after Bebo declined under new ownership and filed for bankruptcy, the Birches bought the company back for just $1 million. Michael later continued building startups and investing through ventures such as Monkey Inferno, PROfounders Capital, and The Battery, the San Francisco private members club he co-founded with Xochi. He has also been a major supporter of charity: water and other philanthropic projects.
Early Life
Michael Birch was born on July 7, 1970, in Sawston, Cambridgeshire, England, and was raised in Hertfordshire. He studied physics at Imperial College London, earning a bachelor of science degree in 1991. His technical background helped shape his early career as a programmer, but Birch's greatest strength became his ability to recognize how ordinary people wanted to communicate online.
Birch met Xochi while she was studying abroad in London. The couple married and eventually became partners not only in life, but in a long series of internet ventures. Before their biggest success, they spent years building smaller online products, learning how users behaved, and figuring out which social features could scale.
Early Startups
Before Bebo, Michael and Xochi Birch co-founded several online companies. Their early ventures included BirthdayAlarm.com, a reminder and greeting-card site, and Ringo.com, an early social networking service focused on helping users connect with friends and contacts. Ringo was sold to Tickle.com in 2003, giving the Birches an important early win before the social networking boom fully exploded.
Those projects helped Michael sharpen the formula that would later make Bebo successful: simple tools, personal profiles, friend networks, messaging, photos, and repeat daily engagement. By the mid-2000s, the internet was moving away from static pages and toward identity-based social platforms. Birch was early to that shift.
Michael Birch (top right) Getty Images
Bebo
Michael and Xochi Birch launched Bebo in January 2005 from their home in San Francisco. The name was later explained as standing for "Blog Early, Blog Often." The site gave users profile pages where they could post photos, blogs, comments, quizzes, videos, and updates. It was especially popular with younger users and became a major social networking force outside the United States.
Bebo grew quickly. At its peak, it had more than 40 million monthly users and became one of the most visited websites in the UK. In some markets, it overtook Myspace and became the dominant social network for a generation of teenagers and young adults.
In March 2008, AOL acquired Bebo for $850 million in cash. Michael and Xochi reportedly owned a combined 70% stake, making the deal worth roughly $595 million to them before taxes and other costs. For AOL, the acquisition was supposed to create a major social media platform. Instead, it became a disaster. Facebook's rise accelerated, Bebo's traffic declined, and AOL sold the company in 2010 for a fraction of the purchase price.
In 2013, after Bebo filed for bankruptcy, Michael and Xochi bought it back for $1 million. The move turned the Bebo story into one of the most remarkable round trips in internet history.
Later Ventures
After Bebo, Michael continued launching and backing startups. He co-founded Monkey Inferno, a startup incubator and development studio, and helped create several smaller internet products. He also co-founded PROfounders Capital, a venture capital firm launched with a group of European entrepreneurs and investors.
In 2013, Michael and Xochi opened The Battery, a private members club in San Francisco. The club was designed as a social, cultural, and philanthropic gathering place rather than a traditional tech hangout. Through Battery Powered, the club's nonprofit arm, members have supported causes in education, health, climate, criminal justice, housing, and other areas.
Michael and Xochi have also been closely associated with charity: water, contributing millions of dollars and supporting the organization's clean-water work.
Personal Life
Michael Birch is married to Xochi Birch, his longtime business partner and co-founder. They have three children and have lived primarily in San Francisco. In addition to their technology and philanthropy work, the couple became involved in restoring the village of Woolsery in North Devon, where Michael had family ties. Their projects there included the restoration of a historic pub, manor house, and other village properties.
In 2015, Michael was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, or OBE, for services to technology and online services.
Read more: Michael Birch Net Worth
0 Comments