Not many billionaires care about the environment, but David Friedberg is different. He has had many ventures during his career, but perhaps his most successful one was The Climate Corporation. Currently, he heads The Production Board (TPB) and appears on the All-In Podcast. As of 2023, David Friedberg has a net worth of $1 billion.
Background
Friedberg was born in South Africa on June 1, 1980 and lived there until he was six years old. His family moved to the United States and settled in Los Angeles. David was a bright student and attended Clarkson University at 16. To pay the bills, he worked in a pool hall and played poker.
In 1997, Friedberg went to the University of California, Berkeley and studied astrophysics. Here he earned his bachelor’s degree in 2001 and immediately dived into the business world
Rise to Prominence
After graduating, David worked for two firms in investment banking and private equity. In 2004, he joined Google as a business product manager and worked on Google Adwords, their online advertising platform. He also helped Google with acquisitions and worked closely with co-founder Larry Page.
Friedberg left Google in 2006 to found The Climate Corporation. The firm’s objective is to use digital tools to help farmers throughout the world enhance production in a sustainable way. It was a massive success, and was acquired by Monsanto in 2013 for $1.1 billion. Friedberg continued to serve on the Executive Team but eventually left in 2016.
In 2015, David acquired NorQuin, a Canadian firm that is the largest quinoa products supplier in North America. Friedberg also sold the business to Above Food Corp in May 2022 for an undisclosed sum.
Current Ventures
Before leaving The Climate Corporation, he established the insurance company Metromile in 2011. Since then, he served as the company’s chairman. He was chosen as chairman of Northern Quinoa Production Corporation and Pattern Ag.
In 2017, David Friedberg started The Production Board and raised $300 million from the likes of Alphabet, BlackRock and Baillie Gifford. He went on to become a board member at various organizations in 2019, including Triplebar Bio, Tillable, and UR Labs. Before this, he was a board member of Soylent.
In the same year, he became the executive chairman of Cana, which made groundbreaking 3D-printed beverages. Cana raised $30 million in January 2022 but went out of business in 2023 as they couldn’t raise enough funding to scale. David also joined the panel of the All-In Podcast with fellow entrepreneurs Chamath Palihapitiya, Jason Calacanis, and David Sacks.
Net Worth and Earnings
It’s no surprise that Friedberg made the majority of his wealth from selling The Climate Corporation for $1.1 billion. He used the money to further build his wealth by starting more companies and investing in startups.
Due to his background and success, companies are eager to have him on their board. He’s become more well-known as a co-host on the All-in Podcast and the publicity benefits his career. Friedberg wealth now stands at an estimated $1 billion.
Notable investments include:
- Afterparty
- Dave.com
- The EVERY Company
- Soylent
- Medico.com
Personal Life
David Friedberg is happily married to Allison Broude Friedberg and they live in a luxury home in San Francisco with their three children. Allison was an elementary-school teacher and is now the director of Smart Start SF, a tutoring company. Friedberg is a lifelong vegetarian and is passionate about sustainable living.
