Reed Hastings served as Co-Founder & CEO of Netflix, Inc. for a verified duration of 24 years 4 months (8,906 days), from Sep 1, 1998 until Jan 19, 2023. During this tenure, Reed Hastings guided Netflix, Inc. across major corporate milestones before retiring from the chief executive role.
Executive Succession & Corporate Facts
- Predecessor
- None (Founding Executive)
- Successor
- Ted Sarandos (Co-CEO)
- Database Tenure Rank
- #14 Longest-Serving CEO in Database (View Full Rankings →)
- Company Founded
- Aug 29, 1997 (Los Gatos, California)
- Known Aliases
- Wilmot Reed Hastings Jr.
Tenure Milestones & Transition Timeline
Reed Hastings Co-Founds Netflix with Marc Randolph
Hastings and Randolph co-founded Netflix in Scotts Valley, California, launching a flat-fee DVD-by-mail service with no due dates or late fees.
Netflix Completes Initial Public Offering on NASDAQ
Hastings guided Netflix through its IPO under ticker NFLX at $15 per share ($1.07 split-adjusted), raising $82.5 million.
Netflix Unveils Streaming Video Feature 'Watch Now'
Hastings launched instant video streaming included at no extra charge with DVD plans, marking the genesis of the modern streaming revolution.
Hastings Announces Qwikster DVD Spinoff, Triggering Massive Backlash
Hastings announced plans to rebrand and separate DVD delivery as Qwikster with a separate bill, shedding 800,000 subscribers before abandoning the plan three weeks later.
Reed Hastings Steps Down as Co-CEO, Transitioning to Executive Chairman
Hastings announced he was stepping down after 25 years as CEO, promoting Greg Peters to join Ted Sarandos as Co-CEO.
Reed Hastings Concludes 25-Year CEO Leadership of Netflix
Hastings formally stepped down as CEO on January 19, 2023, having guided the transition from mail-order DVDs to a 230-million-subscriber global streaming giant.
Related Leaders & Rankings
Historical and interim leadership succession at Netflix, Inc..
Rankings of chief executives across Entertainment.
- • Michael Eisner (The Walt Disney Company)
- • Bob Iger (The Walt Disney Company)
- • Ted Sarandos (Netflix, Inc.)
Compare against all 80 permanent executives in our database.