PeopleofSuperintelligence

Public voice

Ben Thompson

Ben Thompson writes Stratechery, where he analyzes the business and strategy of technology and covers AI. He studied at the University of Wisconsin and earned an MBA at Kellogg and an MEM at McCormick; he began writing Stratechery in 2013 and made it his full-time job in 2014. Aggregation Theory appeared in 2015, and in 2023 he wrote about testing Bing Chat's Sydney persona. After returning to the United States in 2025, he is Stratechery's author and publishes interviews about AI as of October 2026.

Now at
Stratechery

Timeline

  1. 2010–2013

    Launching Stratechery

    In 2010, he interns at Apple; by 2013, he works on Microsoft's Windows Apps team and begins writing Stratechery to analyze technology business strategy. His education includes undergraduate study at the University of Wisconsin, an MBA from Kellogg School of Management, and an MEM from McCormick Engineering School.

  2. 2014

    Writing full time

    In April 2014, he leaves Automattic and makes Stratechery his full-time job, introducing a freemium subscription model.

  3. 2015

    Aggregation Theory

    In July 2015, he develops Aggregation Theory as a framework for how the Internet reshapes consumer-market value chains and industry competition.

  4. February 2023

    Testing Bing's AI

    In February 2023, he writes about testing Bing Chat's Sydney persona and calls the session one of the most surprising computer experiences of his life.

  5. August 2025

    Returning to the United States

    After 22 years in Taiwan, he relocates to the United States in August 2025.

  6. As of October 2026

    Writing and interviewing on AI

    As of October 2026, he is Stratechery's author and publishes interviews about AI, including an October 2026 conversation with Ari Emanuel on AI's impact on Hollywood.

Career

  1. NowStratecheryAuthor
  2. Until 2014Automattic
  3. 2010AppleIntern

Education

  1. University of Wisconsin–Madison
  2. Northwestern UniversityMBA

From the biography.

  1. Google alumni founded or led 81 other organizations, the most among the labs we compareIncludes Apple. We trace 194 organizations founded or led by AI lab alumni, and 202 career moves between the labs.
  2. The company share of AI researchers’ top papers rose from 2% to 32%Includes Microsoft. We estimate where leading AI researchers worked when their most-cited papers appeared. The company share rose from 2% in 1975–1979 to 32% in 2020–2024.
  3. Google has the highest combined h-index among AI organizationsIncludes Microsoft. Our estimates of combined and median h-index at AI organizations, using current affiliations and OpenAlex records.
  4. Google had the most people shaping AI every year from 2014 to 2025Includes Microsoft. Our estimates of which organizations employed the most people shaping AI from 1961 to 2025, with a year-by-year chart.

Colleagues

People with dated positions at the same organization in the same years.

Sources and credits

Photo: We have no published photo of Ben Thompson yet. Send us a free-licensed photo.

  1. About – Stratechery by Ben Thompson stratechery.com. Checked 18 October 2026.
  2. Jony Ive's iOS 7 Influence Will Be More Than Skin Deep - MacRumors macrumors.com. Checked 18 October 2026.
  3. Tech blog Stratechery goes freemium as Ben Thompson strikes it out as an indie writer thenextweb.com. Checked 18 October 2026.
  4. The 2014 Stratechery Year in Review – Stratechery by Ben Thompson stratechery.com. Checked 18 October 2026.
  5. Aggregation Theory – Stratechery by Ben Thompson stratechery.com. Checked 18 October 2026.
  6. From Bing to Sydney – Stratechery by Ben Thompson stratechery.com. Checked 18 October 2026.
  7. A Personal Update and Vacation Break – Stratechery by Ben Thompson stratechery.com. Checked 18 October 2026.
  8. Interviews – Stratechery by Ben Thompson stratechery.com. Checked 18 October 2026.