Ben Chestnut

{{Infobox person

| name = Ben Chestnut

| image = Ben Chestnut ENX 4490 (47924547422).jpg

| alt =

| caption = Chestnut in 2019

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{birth based on age as of date |44|2018|11|02}}

| birth_place = Augusta, Georgia, US

| death_date =

| death_place =

| education = University of Georgia
Georgia Institute of Technology

| occupation = Internet entrepreneur

| known_for = Co-founder and former CEO of Mailchimp

| spouse =

| children = 2

}}

Ben Chestnut (born 1973/1974) is an American Internet entrepreneur. He is the co-founder (with Dan Kurzius) and former CEO of Mailchimp, an email marketing company.{{cite web | url = http://mailchimp.com/about/ | title = Mailchimp's About Us | accessdate = 2012-10-05}}{{cite web |last=Carney |first=Michael |url=http://pandodaily.com/2012/11/30/attention-founders-heres-how-you-respond-to-an-unfair-post-about-your-company/ |title=Attention founders: Here's how you respond to an unfair post about your company |publisher=PandoDaily |date=2012-11-30 |accessdate=2013-06-17 |archive-date=2013-06-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130605003823/http://pandodaily.com/2012/11/30/attention-founders-heres-how-you-respond-to-an-unfair-post-about-your-company/ |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=http://doeswhat.com/2012/09/26/interview-with-ben-chestnut-mailchimp/ |title=Interview with Mailchimp co-founder and CEO Ben Chestnut |publisher=DoesWhat |date=2012-09-26 |accessdate=2013-06-17 |archive-date=2013-06-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130625231048/http://doeswhat.com/2012/09/26/interview-with-ben-chestnut-mailchimp/ |url-status=dead }} As of November 2022, his net worth was estimated at US$4.1 billion.{{cite web |title=Forbes profile: Ben Chestnut |url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/ben-chestnut/ |website=Forbes |accessdate=2 November 2022}}

Early life

Ben Chestnut was born and raised in Augusta, Georgia[http://bizjournals.com/atlanta/print-edition/2012/09/14/the-rocket-science-groupmailchimp.html?r=full Atlanta Biz Journals.] and attended high school in Hephzibah, Georgia. He studied physics at the University of Georgia and industrial design at the Georgia Institute of Technology.{{cite web|author=|date=17 November 2012|title=Case Study: Co-Founder Ben Chestnut Talks About MailChimp – Worth Of Web Academy|url=http://www.worthofweb.com/blog/case-study-co-founder-ben-chestnut-talks-about-mailchimp/|website=worthofweb.com|accessdate=15 October 2018}}

Career

He is the co-founder and former CEO of Rocket Science Group,{{cite web|url=http://doeswhat.com/2012/09/26/interview-with-ben-chestnut-mailchimp/|title=Interview with ben chestnut (mailchimp) – Does What|author=|date=26 September 2012|website=doeswhat.com|accessdate=15 October 2018|archive-date=15 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181015152953/http://www.doeswhat.com/2012/09/26/interview-with-ben-chestnut-mailchimp|url-status=dead}} commonly known as Mailchimp a CRM with 15 million users.{{cite web|url=https://mailchimp.com/about/|title=About Mailchimp – Mailchimp|author=|date=|website=Mailchimp|accessdate=15 October 2018}} In 2016, he was recognized as Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year.{{Cite web|last=Kim|first=Larry|date=2019-04-10|title=10 Fascinating Facts About Mailchimp CEO Ben Chestnut|url=https://www.inc.com/larry-kim/10-fascinating-facts-about-mailchimp-ceo-ben-chestnut.html|access-date=2020-05-19|website=Inc.com}} According to Atlanta Business Chronicle, in August 2017, Chestnut was awarded "Most Admired CEO".{{Cite web|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/event/154022/2017/most-admired-ceo-awards-sold-out|title=www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/event/154022/2017/most-admired-ceo-awards-sold-out|website=www.bizjournals.com|access-date=2017-10-11}}

In October 2018, Forbes noted that Chestnut was a billionaire.{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexkonrad/2018/10/08/the-new-atlanta-billionaires-behind-an-unlikely-tech-unicorn/#5fe3872731a2/ |title=The New Atlanta Billionaires Behind An Unlikely Tech Unicorn |work=Forbes |date=2018-10-08 |accessdate=2019-02-19}} In August 2022, Chestnut abruptly stepped down as CEO one month after sending a nearly 1,400-word email to a small group of employees identifying what he considered an alarming trend in his workforce: new hires introducing themselves in virtual meetings with their preferred pronouns.{{Cite web |last=Schiffer |first=Zoë |title=Did this email cost Mailchimp's billionaire CEO his job? |url=https://www.platformer.news/p/did-this-email-cost-mailchimps-billionaire |access-date=2023-11-26 |website=www.platformer.news |date=20 October 2022 |language=en}}

Compensatory policies

Chestnut has focused his company's resources in providing compensatory benefits for employees.{{cite web|url=http://ventureatlanta.org/2013/04/interview-with-mailchimp-ceo-ben-chestnut/|title=venture atlanta|author=|date=|website=ventureatlanta.org|accessdate=15 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170219185148/http://ventureatlanta.org/2013/04/interview-with-mailchimp-ceo-ben-chestnut/|archive-date=19 February 2017|url-status=dead}} Chestnut's motivation for his corporate policy stems from his being raised by his military father who had few economic opportunities.