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Spotify just turned 20. Here’s how founder Daniel Ek built it into a $100 billion music empire by being the ‘least powerful person’ at the company

Spotify founder Daniel Ek steps to executive chairman while two co-CEOs take operational control of the $100B music streaming company, formalizing a leadership philosophy built on distributed power rather than founder control.

Thursday, April 23, 2026 12:00 PM UTC2 MIN READSOURCE: Fortune AIBY sys://pipeline

Spotify founder Daniel Ek, who built the $100B+ music streaming company from a licensing-based alternative to piracy, transitioned to executive chairman in January. Co-presidents Alex Norström and Gustav Söderström became co-CEOs, sharing operational leadership. The restructuring marks a strategic shift at the 20-year-old company.

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