David Baszucki

{{short description|Canadian-born American entrepreneur; co-founder and CEO of Roblox Corporation}}

{{protection padlock|reason=per request at WP:RFPP to help ensure sourced BLP is created|small=yes}}

{{Infobox person

| name = David Baszucki

| image = TechCrunch Disrupt San Francisco 2018 - day 1 (30633298878).jpg

| alt = Photograph of David Baszucki speaking while sitting in a chair

| caption = Baszucki in 2018

| other_names = builderman, david.baszucki

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1963|01|20}}

| birth_place = Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

| education = Stanford University (BS)

| occupation = Entrepreneur, engineer

| years_active = 1989–present

| known_for = Co-founder of Roblox

| title = CEO of Roblox Corporation

| spouse = Jan Ellison

| children = 4

| signature = David Baszucki signature.svg

| signature_type = Signatures

}}

David Brent Baszucki{{cite web |title=Area's 1981 candidates for graduation |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-minneapolis-star-areas-1981-candida/155846313/ |website=The Minneapolis Star |access-date=September 23, 2024 |pages=142 |date=June 11, 1981 |via=Newspapers.com}} ({{IPAc-en|b|ə|ˈ|z|uː|k|i}}; born January 20, 1963), also known by his former Roblox username builderman, is a Canadian-born American entrepreneur, engineer, and software developer. He is best known as the co-founder and CEO of Roblox Corporation. He co-founded and was the CEO of Knowledge Revolution, which was acquired by MSC Software in December 1998.{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestreptalks/2016/06/10/why-the-creator-of-roblox-thinks-his-gaming-platform-will-top-minecraft/#5926ce2813f0|title=Why The Creator Of Roblox Thinks His Gaming Platform Will Top Minecraft|website=Forbes|last1=Adams|first1=Susan|date=June 10, 2016|accessdate=September 10, 2020|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180510121242/https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestreptalks/2016/06/10/why-the-creator-of-roblox-thinks-his-gaming-platform-will-top-minecraft/#1f0d76af13f0|archivedate=May 10, 2018}}

Early life and education

Baszucki was born on January 20, 1963, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada to Helen and Paul Baszucki, who met at the University of Saskatchewan before moving to Eastern Canada and the United States. Both of Baszucki's parents were descended from Ukrainian immigrants who had settled in Saskatchewan. He grew up in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. As a child, he was interested in dirt bikes, go-karts, and science fiction.{{cite web| title=David Baszucki, Roblox's 'Builderman' | website=Bloomberg | date=December 1, 2021 | url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-12-01/david-baszucki-ceo-who-took-roblox-rblx-public-bloomberg-50-2021?sref=kUe1sdbh | access-date=August 22, 2022|first1=Olga|last1=Kharif|first2=Felix|last2=Gilette}} He attended Eden Prairie High School in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, where he was the captain of his high school TV quiz team.{{cite web|url=https://www.yourtechstory.com/2019/07/24/david-baszucki-founder-roblox-biggest-video-game-building-platform/|title=David Baszucki : Founder of Roblox, the Biggest Video Game Building Platform|last=Vashishtha|first=Yashica|date=July 24, 2019|website=Your Tech Story|language=en-US|access-date=September 2, 2019}} Baszucki studied engineering and computer science at Stanford University. While there, he did a summer internship at General Motors where he worked in a lab focused on controlling car engines with software. He graduated in 1985 as a General Motors Scholar in electrical engineering.{{Cite news | url = https://engineering.stanford.edu/events/david-baszucki-entrepreneurial-thought-leaders-series | title = David Baszucki: The Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders Series | date = March 20, 2018 | work = Stanford School of Engineering|access-date=May 10, 2018 | language = en|url-status=live | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20180602141445/https://engineering.stanford.edu/events/david-baszucki-entrepreneurial-thought-leaders-series | archivedate = June 2, 2018}} Before founding Roblox, he hosted a libertarian talk radio show for KSCO Radio Santa Cruz.{{cite web|url=https://lifehacker.com/im-david-baszucki-ceo-of-roblox-and-this-is-how-i-wor-1787404285|title=I'm David Baszucki, CEO of Roblox, and This Is How I Work|last=Orin|first=Andy|website=Lifehacker|accessdate=May 10, 2018|date=October 13, 2016|language=en-US|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180510184109/https://lifehacker.com/im-david-baszucki-ceo-of-roblox-and-this-is-how-i-wor-1787404285|archivedate=May 10, 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.paloaltoonline.com/weekly/morgue/real_estate/2001_Mar_2.381.html|title=Seeing the possibilities|website=Palaol Toonline|last1=Blitzer|first1=Carol|date=March 2, 2001|accessdate=May 10, 2018|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20040905032620/http://www.paloaltoonline.com/weekly/morgue/real_estate/2001_Mar_2.381.html|archivedate=September 5, 2004}}

Career

= Knowledge Revolution =

In the late 1980s, Baszucki, together with his brother Greg Baszucki, founded the company Knowledge Revolution and developed and distributed a simulation called "Interactive Physics", which was designed as an educational supplement that would allow the creation of 2D physics experiments.{{cite web|url=https://www.tijd.be/dossier/legrandinconnu/gaming-als-leerrevolutie/10258698.html|title=Gaming as a learning revolution|website=De Tijd|language=Dutch|last1=LeGrand|first1=Roland|date=October 17, 2020|accessdate=October 27, 2020}}{{cite journal|last1=Risley|first1=John S.|last2=Gjertsen|first2=Margaret|date=1992|title=Orlando Exhibit Brings News of Educational Software Advances|journal=Computers in Physics|volume=6|issue=2|pages=111–112|doi=10.1063/1.4823052|bibcode = 1992ComPh...6..111.|doi-access=free}}

As a follow-up to Interactive Physics, Knowledge Revolution launched the mechanical design software Working Model in the early 1990s.{{cite web|url=http://www.design-simulation.com/wm2d/index.php|title=Working Model 2D - 2D Kinematics & Dynamics Software - Engineering Simulation|website=Design Simulation Technologies|language=en|accessdate=May 10, 2018|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180203141045/http://www.design-simulation.com/WM2D/index.php|archivedate=February 3, 2018}}

In December 1998, Knowledge Revolution was acquired by MSC Software, a simulation software company based in Newport Beach, California, for $20 million. Baszucki was named vice president and general manager of MSC Software from 2000 to 2002, but he left to establish Baszucki & Associates, an angel investment firm. Baszucki led Baszucki & Associates from 2003 to 2004.{{cite web|url=https://www.distractify.com/p/who-are-the-two-creators-of-roblox|title='Roblox' Has Been Captivating Players for Over 13 Years, and It All Started With Two Men|website=Distractify|last1=Gatollari|first1=Mustafa|date=March 6, 2020|accessdate=September 10, 2020}} While an investor, he provided seed funding to Friendster, a social networking service.{{cite web|url=https://mashable.com/2007/02/22/digg-trademark-singing-news-58-billion-video-market-roblox-more/#bbmoZW0frkqd|title=Digg Trademark, Singing News, $5.8 Billion Video Market, Roblox, More|last=Cashmore|first=Pete|website=Mashable|date=February 23, 2007|accessdate=May 10, 2018|language=en|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180510115725/https://mashable.com/2007/02/22/digg-trademark-singing-news-58-billion-video-market-roblox-more/#bbmoZW0frkqd|archivedate=May 10, 2018}}

= ''Roblox'' =

In December 2003, Baszucki, along with Erik Cassel – who worked as Baszucki's VP of Engineering for Interactive Physics – began working on an early prototype of Roblox under the working title eBlocks,{{Cite web |date=2003-12-03 |title=Wayback Machine |url=http://www.baszucki.com/ |access-date=2025-01-21 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20031203213514/http://www.baszucki.com/ |archive-date=December 3, 2003 }} then later DynaBlocks. It was later renamed Roblox, a portmanteau of "robots" and "blocks", in January 2004. The website was launched in 2004, whilst Roblox was officially released on September 1, 2006.{{Cite news | url = https://heavy.com/games/2017/07/roblox-youtube-free-download-corporation-baszucki-cassel-nerfmodder/ | title = Roblox: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know | last = Fennimore | first = Jack | date = July 12, 2017 | work = Heavy.com|access-date=May 10, 2018 | language = en-US|url-status=live | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20180207010506/https://heavy.com/games/2017/07/roblox-youtube-free-download-corporation-baszucki-cassel-nerfmodder/ | archivedate = February 7, 2018}} In a June 2016 interview with Forbes, Baszucki stated that the idea for Roblox was inspired by the success of his Interactive Physics and Working Model software applications, especially among young students.

Baszucki owns a roughly 13% stake in the Roblox Corporation, the company that owns Roblox, a stake estimated to be worth around $470 million as of 2020.{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/abrambrown/2020/11/20/roblox-cofounder-dave-baszucki-needs-to-see-this-magic-number-to-become-a-billionaire/?sh=5030adeb74ff|title=Roblox Cofounder Dave Baszucki Needs To See This Magic Number To Become A Billionaire|website=Forbes|last1=Brown|first1=Abram|date=November 20, 2020|accessdate=December 14, 2020}} He said he would donate any future compensation he earns from Roblox's listing on the New York Stock Exchange for philanthropic purposes.{{cite news |last1=Maloney |first1=Tom |last2=Stupples |first2=Benjamin |title=Roblox Creator's Wealth Soars to $4.6 Billion as Shares Jump |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-10/roblox-mastermind-creates-3-billion-fortune-from-virtual-world |access-date=December 8, 2021 |work=Bloomberg |date=March 10, 2021}} In December 2021, a New York Times investigation alleged that he and his relatives used a tax break intended for small business investors in order to legally avoid tens of millions of dollars in capital gains taxes.{{Cite news|last1=Drucker|first1=Jesse|last2=Farrell|first2=Maureen|date=2021-12-28|title=A Lavish Tax Dodge for the Ultrawealthy Is Easily Multiplied|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/28/business/tax-break-qualified-small-business-stock.html|access-date=2021-12-28|issn=0362-4331}} According to Business Insider, Baszucki was the seventh-highest-paid CEO in 2021, making $232.8 million.{{cite news |last1=Nguyen |first1=Britney |title=The 12 highest-paid CEOs, including Amazon's Andy Jassy and Roblox's David Baszucki, each earned over $100 million last year |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/highest-paid-ceos-amazon-roblox-earned-over-100-million-compensation-2022-6 |access-date=June 28, 2022 |work=Business Insider |date=June 28, 2022}}

= Other activities =

In March 2021, after Roblox's listing on the New York Stock Exchange, Baszucki and his wife launched the Baszucki Group, a philanthropic organisation, and started the Baszucki Brain Research Fund to provide grants to bipolar research programs.{{cite web | last=Karon | first=Paul | title=New Donors Cast Fresh Eyes on the Underfunded Challenges of Bipolar Disorder | website=Inside Philanthropy | date=April 30, 2021 | url=https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2021/4/30/new-donors-cast-fresh-eyes-on-the-underfunded-challenges-of-bipolar-disorder | access-date=August 22, 2022}} In December 2021, the University of California, San Francisco launched the Baszucki Lymphoma Therapeutics Initiative, with $6 million in donations from Baszucki over five years, to increase the effectiveness and availability of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy for lymphoma patients.{{cite news |last1=Bleicher |first1=Ariel |title=$6M Gift from Family of Roblox Creator Launches New Initiative to Advance CAR T Therapy |url=https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2021/12/421931/6m-gift-family-roblox-creator-launches-new-initiative-advance-car-t-therapy |access-date=December 8, 2021 |work=University of California, San Francisco |date=December 8, 2021}} In September 2022, Baszucki, Google cofounder Sergey Brin, and Keystone Capital chairman Kent Dauten donated a combined $150 million toward bipolar disorder research and treatment.{{cite news |last1=Dolan |first1=Kerry |title=Sergei Brin, Roblox's David Baszucki And Kent Dauten Of Keystone Capital Commit $150 Million To Fight Bipolar Disorder |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/kerryadolan/2022/09/12/sergei-brin-robloxs-david-baszucki-and-kent-dauten-of-keystone-capital-commit-150-million-to-fight-bipolar-disorder/?sh=5480dadc10cc |access-date=September 12, 2022 |work=Forbes |date=September 12, 2022}}

Personal life

Baszucki lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, novelist Jan Ellison, and their four children.{{cite web|url=http://inmenlo.com/2015/01/26/local-author-jan-ellisons-debut-novel-a-small-indiscretion|title=Local author Jan Ellison's debut novel, A Small Indiscretion, is spotlighted at Kepler's|website=InMenlo|language = en-US|last1=Baer|first1=Sheri|date=January 26, 2015|accessdate=May 10, 2018}}