Will Ahmed
Will Ahmed | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Education | AB, Harvard University, 2012 |
| Title | Founder & CEO of WHOOP |
William Ahmed is an American entrepreneur best known as the CEO of health wearables company WHOOP, which he founded in 2012.[1]
Early life
[edit]Ahmed grew up in Long Island, New York. He is an only child. As a child, he played multiple sports including soccer, hockey, lacrosse, tennis, swimming, golf, and sailing.[2] He attended high school at St. Paul's School in Concord, NH.[3] He went on to graduate from Harvard College, where he studied government and was the captain of the squash team.[4]
Career
[edit]In 2012, while a student at Harvard, Ahmed began developing new wearable technology that would allow athletes to measure recovery and optimize performance.[5] According to Ahmed, he began creating the technology after reading dozens of medical papers. The company's first wearable device launched in 2015.[6] Ahmed pursued a strategy of selling the product to top sports teams and athletes before marketing to the broader consumer base in order to generate a "halo effect" for the brand.[7] Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps and NBA star Lebron James were among the first users of the device.[2]
In 2021, the company was valued at $3.6 billion.[8] Under Ahmed's leadership, WHOOP has recruited investors including SoftBank, IVP, Eli Manning, Patrick Mahomes, and Larry Fitzgerald.[9]
In 2022, Ahmed publicly claimed victory over Amazon in the wearable competition after Amazon discontinued its Halo wearable product. He alleged that Amazon's Halo band was a knockoff of the WHOOP device. Amazon publicly denied the allegations.[6]
In 2023, Ahmed was appointed to the Harvard Medical School Board of Fellows.[10]
In May 2024, Ahmed announced that Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo had invested in WHOOP.[11] Ahmed and Ronaldo made the announcement in an Instagram Live video at Ronaldo's home in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.[12]
Personal life
[edit]Ahmed is married to Leily Amirsardary, an Iranian fashion designer. They married in 2018 during a three-day wedding in Cannes.[13]
Ahmed is an avid golfer. He has previously played in the Waste Management Phoenix Open Pro-Am.[14]
Ahmed's father is Egyptian.[15] He immigrated to the United States and worked in the financial services industry.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ "Boston Tech Leaders: Will Ahmed, Whoop - The Boston Globe". bostontechleaders2023.bostonglobe.com. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
- ^ a b Pasricha, Akash (May 3, 2024). "How Whoop Survived a Race Against the Apple Watch—And Made Its Wearables a Hit Among Athletes". The Information. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
- ^ "Welcoming Energy | St. Paul's School". www.sps.edu. 2024-04-25. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
- ^ "Men's Squash Crushes Brown, 9-0 | Sports | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
- ^ Nast, Condé (2021-09-02). "The Real-Life Diet of Whoop Founder Will Ahmed, Who Cut Out Caffeine After 2 P.M." GQ. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
- ^ a b Palmer, Annie (2023-05-04). "CEO of fitness band maker Whoop mocks the demise of Amazon's Halo health device". CNBC. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
- ^ a b Elliott, Bryan (May 16, 2023). "Behind the Brand: Whoop Fitness TrackerHow doing one thing really well paid off for founder Will Ahmed". Inc. Magazine. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
- ^ "Wearables company Whoop valued at $3.6bn after SoftBank investment". www.ft.com. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
- ^ "Whoop Valued at $1.2 Billion With IVP, SoftBank, Eli Manning Backing". Bloomberg.com. 2020-10-28. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
- ^ Rehfeldt, Courtney (2023-04-04). "Whoop Founder Will Ahmed Named to Harvard Medical School Board of Fellows". Athletech News. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
- ^ Cabral, Alvin R. (2024-05-13). "Cristiano Ronaldo invests in wearable tech start-up Whoop as it expands into Gulf". The National. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
- ^ "Cristiano Ronaldo joins Whoop as investor, ambassador". www.sportsbusinessjournal.com. 2024-05-13. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
- ^ Spellings, Sarah (2019-04-26). "A Spectacular 3-Day Wedding in Cannes". The Cut. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
- ^ Williams, Blake (2022-02-11). "Dodgers News: Walker Buehler Participating In Annexus Pro-Am At WM Phoenix Open". Dodger Blue. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
- ^ Stewart, Ashleigh (2022-08-10). "This wearable tech will improve your fitness journey". WIRED Middle East. Retrieved 2024-04-28.