32 Facts About Naveen Jain

Naveen K Jain is an Indian-American business executive, entrepreneur, and the founder and former CEO of InfoSpace.

In 2010 Naveen Jain co-founded Moon Express where he is the Executive Chairman, and in 2016 founded Viome, where he is the CEO.

Naveen Jain grew up in New Delhi and in villages in Uttar Pradesh, India.

Naveen Jain moved to Roorkee, where in 1979 he earned an engineering degree from IIT Roorkee.

Naveen Jain moved to the United States that same year.

Naveen Jain looked up to business people who made their own fortune, especially Bill Gates.

Naveen Jain moved to Silicon Valley for its warmer climate and worked for "a bunch of startups" before joining Microsoft in 1989.

Naveen Jain was awarded three patents related to Windows 95 and became best known for his work as a program manager.

Naveen Jain joined the management team for Microsoft Network, prior to its launch.

Naveen Jain was working on the launch of Microsoft Networks, when Netscape Communications raised $2.2 billion in an initial public offering in 1995.

Naveen Jain quit Microsoft to start InfoSpace that year, with the aim of having his own initial public offering as quickly as possible.

Naveen Jain founded InfoSpace in March 1996 with six employees, mostly from Microsoft, and began developing e-mail and telephone directories.

Naveen Jain grew at low cost without funding using co-branding strategies.

Many of these cases involved employees or consultants that said they were offered deals where they could buy shares for 1 to 10 cents each, but shortly afterwards Naveen Jain tried to change the deal or fired them over a dispute without the promised stock-based compensation.

Naveen Jain alleged the deals were set up such that their shares wouldn't vest until they've been an employee for a year.

In March 2000, even as the stock price declined, Naveen Jain said InfoSpace would one day have a greater market-share than Microsoft, Intel and Cisco combined.

Naveen Jain led a merger with Go2Net that was purchased with the shares.

Naveen Jain then used misleading accounting practices to make it appear as though it was still growing.

The shareholder alleged Naveen Jain misled shareholders about the company's financials, then profited by selling his own shares at their peak.

Naveen Jain was forced out by InfoSpace's board as chairman and CEO in December 2002.

In 2003 Naveen Jain was ordered to pay $247 million for violations in "short-swing trading rules", whereby he bought and sold stocks within six months as an employee with insider knowledge.

Naveen Jain said his stock purchasing was a mistake due to bad advice from his legal and financial advisors.

Naveen Jain re-formed the company under the name Inome in 2012.

In 2015 the company was sold, with Naveen Jain retaining a 25 percent interest, and a new CEO was appointed.

Naveen Jain founded Talentwise, a spin-off from Intelius, which was sold in 2016.

Naveen Jain co-founded Moon Express in August 2010 and is its chairman.

Naveen Jain is building machine-operated spacecraft to mine materials like gold, cobalt, platinum, and Helium-3 from the Moon.

Naveen Jain claimed his target for Moon Express was to found human colonies on the Moon by 2022.

Naveen Jain is founder and CEO of Bluedot's spinoff Viome.

Naveen Jain is a member of the board of Kairos Society, a non-profit network of undergraduate entrepreneurs, founded by his son.

Naveen Jain is on the board of the Xprize Foundation and Singularity University.

Naveen Jain married in 1988 and moved with his family to Seattle.