James Park was born in 1976, in Cleveland, Ohio USA – but the exact birth date is unknown in the media. He is an entrepreneur, probably best known to the world as a co-founder of the Fitbit Company that produces equipment which measures data such as heart rate, steps climbed or walked and other metrics. His career started in 2000.
Have you ever wondered how rich James Park is, as of late 2016? According to authoritative sources, it has been estimated that Park`s net worth is as high as $660 million, making him the 29th richest American Entrepreneur under 40 in 2015.
James Park Net Worth $660 Million
James has Korean roots, since his parents migrated from South Korea to the USA. He went to University School in Cleveland, Ohio, which is a prestigious all-boys high school, and after matriculation he enrolled at Harvard to study a BA in Computer Science, but dropped out – sound familiar!?.
Before he started the Fitbit, he held several positions in IT sector, all of which certainly helped him to gain highly needed knowledge, while also starting a couple of companies with different work categories; he was a co-founder of Epesi Technologies and was its Chief Technology Officer, focusing on directing technology strategy and implementing the networking protocols for the company`s products. Also, he was Technologist at Morgan Stanley, where he was in charge of developing financial analytical applications for quantitative trading. Furthermore, he worked for BCL Computers, and KPMG, and was Director of Product Development at CNET Networks. His experience was growing, and his net worth was established.
It was in 2007 when he teamed up with Eric Friedman to start the Fitbit, after the two were inspired by sensors and software of the Nintendo Wii console. Despite a healthy net worth, the two needed to raise finance, and did so largely through family and friends – indicating considerable confidence in the pair – and soon they raised $400,000 which was enough to start the first series of manufacturing the sensors. Their inexperience in manufacturing and marketing showed, and it wasn’t until 2015 that Fitbit really made money, but a lot of it. The company is now credited with holding over 80% of the sensors market in the USA, with over 30 million sold in the US alone, which has certainly increased James` net worth considerably.
The two have also had success with another software company, the digital photo sharing service Windup Labs which they started back in 2002. As the company began to grow, they sold it to CNET Networks in 2015, from which both of the benefited significantly.
James has been listed on Forbes 40 Under 40, one of the richest and tech-savvy younger entrepreneurs.
Regarding his personal life, James has been married to South Korean singer Sunye since 2013; the couple has a daughter together born in 2013, and currently live in Berkeley, California.
