Chris Hughes

Chris Hughes (born November 26, 1983)^[1] is an American entrepreneur who co-founded and served as spokesman for the online social directory and networking site Facebook, with Harvard roommates Mark Zuckerberg, Dustin Moskovitz, and Eduardo Saverin. He is currently the publisher and editor-in-chief of The New Republic, after purchasing the magazine in 2012.

Early life and education

Hughes grew up in Hickory, North Carolina,^[3] as the only child of Arlen "Ray" Hughes, a paper salesman, and Brenda Hughes, a public-school teacher.^[4] He is a graduate of Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts.^[4] In 2006 he graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University with a Bachelor of Arts in history and literature.^[2]

Career

Hughes was the coordinator of online organizing for Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign on My.BarackObama.com, the campaign's online social networking website.^[5] He was the subject of an April 2009 cover story in Fast Company magazine under the headline, "The Kid Who Made Obama President; How Facebook Cofounder Chris Hughes Unleashed Barack's Base - and Changed Politics and Marketing Forever."

In March 2009, Hughes was named Entrepreneur in Residence at General Catalyst Partners, a Cambridge, Massachusetts, venture-capital firm.^[6]

He is the Executive Director of Jumo, which he founded in 2010. Jumo is a non-profit social network organization which "aims to help people find ways to help the world."^[7][8] In July 2010, UNAIDS (Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS) appointed him to a 17-member "High Level Commission" of renowned politicians, business leaders, human rights activists, and scientists tasked with spearheading a "social and political action campaign over the coming year aimed at galvanizing support for effective HIV prevention programmes."^[9]

He is also an invitee of the Bilderberg Group and attended the Swiss 2011 Bilderberg conference at the Suvretta House in St. Moritz, Switzerland.^[10]

In March 2012, he purchased a majority stake in The New Republic Magazine. He plans to become publisher and the editor in chief of the magazine, while Richard Just will remain as editor.^[11]

Personal life

Hughes is openly gay^[4][12] and in 2009 attended President Barack Obama's first state dinner with his boyfriend Sean Eldridge, Political Director of Freedom to Marry.^[13] Hughes and Eldridge announced their engagement in January 2011 at a reception in support of Freedom to Marry.^[14]