Markus Villig
{{Short description|Estonian entrepreneur (born 1993)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Markus Villig
| image =
| alt =
| caption = Villig in 2024
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1993|12|17}}
| title = Founder and CEO of Bolt
}}
Markus Villig (born 1993) is an Estonian billionaire entrepreneur and founder and CEO of global shared mobility company Bolt Technology OÜ.{{cite news |last1=Santariano |first1=Adam |title=A Scrappy Start-Up Tests Uber |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-toronto-star-markus-villig-born-199/168255096/ |work=The Toronto Star |date=May 12, 2019 |location=Toronto, ON |page=36 |access-date=March 18, 2025 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}
Biography
After finishing high school in Tallinn in the spring 2013, Markus began working on the initial development of Bolt. With a €5,000 loan from his family, he was able to create the first prototype of the app while personally recruiting drivers on the streets of Tallinn.{{Cite web |last=McKeever |first=Vicky |title=How a college dropout became Europe's youngest founder of a billion-dollar company |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/21/how-bolt-ceo-markus-villig-became-europes-youngest-unicorn-founder.html |access-date=2023-03-14 |website=CNBC |date=21 October 2019 |language=en}}
In September 2013 he enrolled at the University of Tartu to study computer science. However, he left at the end of his first semester to work on the company full time.{{Cite web |first=Marian |last=Männi |date=2022-04-26 |title=University of Tartu study explains success of Estonian entrepreneurs |url=https://news.err.ee/1608577936/university-of-tartu-study-explains-success-of-estonian-entrepreneurs |access-date=2024-10-29 |website=ERR |language=en}}
Markus has received numerous accolades in recognition of his achievements as an entrepreneur. In 2016 he was featured as the youngest CEO in the Forbes 30 under 30 list in the Baltics and also received the presidential award for the Best Young Entrepreneur in Estonia.{{Cite web |title=Markus Villig (CEO & Founder at Taxify) on growth, raising capital and sharing economy |url=https://www.startupgrind.com/events/details/startup-grind-tallinn-presents-markus-villig-ceo-founder-at-taxify-on-growth-raising-capital-and-sharing-economy/ |access-date=2023-03-14 |website=Startup Grind |language=en}} Additionally, in 2018, he was honored as EY's Estonian Entrepreneur of the Year at the World Entrepreneur of the Year Business Forum.{{Cite web |title=Taxify asutajad püüavad Monacos Maailma Aasta Ettevõtja tiitlit |url=https://digi.geenius.ee/rubriik/uudis/taxify-asutajad-puuavad-monacos-maailma-aasta-ettevotja-tiitlit/ |access-date=2023-03-14 |website=Digigeenius|date=13 June 2018 }} Furthermore, he was named Entrepreneur of the Year by the Estonian national newspaper Äripaev in 2022.{{Cite web |title=Äripäev valis aasta ettevõtjaks Markus Villigu |url=https://www.aripaev.ee/uudised/2022/12/29/aripaev-valis-aasta-ettevotjaks-markus-villigu |access-date=2023-03-14 |website=Äripäev |language=et}}
In November 2022, Markus was made a Partner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Estonia, which recognises individuals who support the country’s foreign policy interests, for his contribution in supporting Ukraine following its invasion by Russia.{{Cite web |title=Foreign Minister awards Crosses of Merit for contributions to Estonian statehood and foreign policy {{!}} Välisministeerium |url=https://www.vm.ee/en/news/foreign-minister-awards-crosses-merit-contributions-estonian-statehood-and-foreign-policy |access-date=2023-03-14 |website=www.vm.ee |language=en}}
In March 2025, he was appointed as a board member of Klarna. https://www.klarna.com/international/press/markus-villig-and-niclas-neglen-appointed-to-klarna-group-plc-board-of/
As of 2019, he is Europe's youngest founder of a billion dollar company (unicorn).
References
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Category:Estonian business executives
Category:Estonian billionaires
Category:Businesspeople in transport
Category:University of Tartu alumni
Category:Estonian company founders
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