Venture Capitalist Alfred Lin Bet Early on OpenAI, Air B&B
By James Moreau | 28 Apr, 2025

Sequoia Capital partner Alfred Lin racked up a $12.6 billion net worth by leveraging his early Zappos bet into a leadership role at the world's top Venture Capital firm.

Taiwanese-American Alfred Lin is recognized as the most successful American venture capitalist.  Much of that distinction is based on a net worth of $12.6 billion.  It’s aided by Lin’s status as a top partner at Sequoia Capital, the world’s leading venture capital firm, with $56 billion in assets under management. 

Since joining Sequoia in 2010 the 52-year-old has focused on the consumer internet and technology sector.  He was responsible for Sequoia’s early investment in Airbnb and DoorDash.  In 2021 Lin led an investment in OpenAI at a $14 billion valuation.   The company’s valuation has since shot up as high as $300 billion amid a recent AI mania, producing a dramatic appreciation in Sequoia’s stake. 

Lin’s insights into the consumer internet sector was gained from 5 years spent as Chairman, COO and CFO of Zappos.   During that time he positioned the company for its eventual $1.2 billion acquisition by Amazon in 2009.

Lin’s first experience as a venture capitalist came from co-founding with Tony Hsieh an early-stage venture firm called Venture Frogs, an unlikely name taken on a bet with a friend.   The firm was persuaded to invest in Zappos by an entrepreneur seeking seed money to realize the concept of selling shoes online.  Zappos proved a big winner, with sales ballooning from $1.6 mil. In 2000 to $1 bil. in 2009.

Lin’s first venture was another partnership with Tony Hsieh in an online ad business called LinkExchange which was sold to Microsoft in 1998 for $265 million.  

Lin earned a BS in applied mathematics from Harvard in 1994 and an MS in statistics from Stanford.

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