Ben Chestnut

Ben Chestnut (born 1973/1974) is an American Internet entrepreneur. He is the co-founder (with Dan Kurzius) and former CEO of Mailchimp, an email marketing company. As of November 2022, his net worth was estimated at US$4.1 billion.

Early life
Ben Chestnut was born and raised in Augusta, Georgia and attended high school in Hephzibah, Georgia. He studied physics at the University of Georgia and industrial design at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Career
He is the co-founder and former CEO of Rocket Science Group, commonly known as Mailchimp a CRM with 15 million users. In 2016, he was recognized as Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year. According to Atlanta Business Chronicle, in August 2017, Chestnut was awarded "Most Admired CEO". In October 2018, Forbes noted that Chestnut was a billionaire. In August 2022, Chestnut abruptly stepped down as CEO one month after sending a nearly 1,400-word email to a small group of employees identifying what he considered an alarming trend in his workforce: new hires introducing themselves in virtual meetings with their preferred pronouns.

Compensatory policies
Chestnut has focused his company's resources in providing compensatory benefits for employees. Chestnut's motivation for his corporate policy stems from his being raised by his military father who had few economic opportunities.

Risks of social media
In an interview with Forbes Magazine, Chestnut countered arguments that social media would replace the need for email and email marketing.

Personal life
Chestnut is married, with two children, and lives in Atlanta, Georgia.