Jason Robins
Age: 34
Company: DraftKings
Title: CEO
Where born: Stanford, Calif.
Education: Duke University (B.S.,
economics and computer science)
Family: Wife, Shannon; son, Levi (1)
Favorite way to unwind: Watching sports.
Groups supported: TUGG (a local group that focuses on technology and entrepreneurship) and American Red Cross.
Most thrilling/adventurous thing I’ve ever done: Skydiving.
Person in the industry I’d most like to meet: Adam Silver.
If I could change jobs with anyone for a day, it would be: Tom Brady. He wins Super Bowls.
2015 will be a good year if: DraftKings can 5x our annual revenue..
My fellow Forty Under 40 class members would be surprised to know that: One year when I was a kid I was in more than 200 fantasy sports leagues.
IAN TRAVIS BARNARD
ason Robins admits to having a rather serious fantasy sports obsession as a kid. Involved in more than 200 leagues in nine sports at various points of his youth, Robins was a self-professed addict.
“I definitely was that poster-child fantasy guy.
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Forty Under 40 editor Mark Mensheha and Executive Editor Abraham Madkour discuss this year's class, some of the more interesting stories in it and how the selection process works.
You name it, I played it,” Robins said. “I simply couldn’t get enough. I’ve slowed down now. It’s obviously harder to find the time, but I’m still playing a lot.”
Robins has turned that obsession into a runaway success with DraftKings. Under Robins’ guidance, the Boston-based company last year increased revenue sevenfold to $30 million, with another quintupling expected this year; closed on a $41 million Series C round of venture capital financing; signed partnerships with a variety of top-tier pro teams and leagues, including the NHL and New England Patriots; and helped catapult daily fantasy sports into the national mainstream.
The ascendancy of DraftKings in just three short years has presented a drastic change for the former marketing executive and analyst for Vistaprint and Capital One.
“I’ve always been really interested in data and analytics, and that certainly enters a lot into what we’re doing with DraftKings,” Robins said. “But it’s much bigger than that. We’ve addressed some of the real barriers to entry for fantasy players, particularly in sports like baseball, and are fundamentally changing how fans interact with their favorite sports.”
— Eric Fisher
