Jack Selby‘s career has spanned hugely successful ventures from the early days of PayPal to risk-taking in hedge funds and film production. He has constantly reinvented himself all while retaining an influence in Silicon Valley as a investor and sage advisor.
As an early executive at PayPal, he earned a fortune when PayPal sold to eBay for $1.5 billion. Rather than rest on his laurels, that windfall fueled even greater ambitions into new frontiers like cinema and macroeconomic investing. Selby is emblematic of the "PayPal Mafia" – the early employees and founders who went on to become tech icons.
Let‘s explore his journey.
Early Life Developing a Global Perspective
Selby was born in 1975 in the United States. Intrigued by numbers and analytical thinking from a young age, he chose to study Economics at Hamilton College.
1992-1996: Hamilton College
Degree: Bachelor‘s Degree in Economics During college, Selby seized opportunities to expand his worldview. He spent a year abroad in Germany, immersing himself in a foreign culture and language. Friends describe young Selby as highly intelligent but seeking adventure outside just textbooks.
After graduating in 1996, he returned to Germany for a few years of work that likely focused on utilizing his economics training. These early exposures to diverse business environments beyond US shores established a perspective he would later apply to investments and global business-building.
The PayPal Years – Building a Powerhouse
Selby first dipped his toes in Silicon Valley‘s startup waters in 1999 when he joined Confinity – an early pioneer in online payments and encryption. Confinity soon merged with Elon Musk‘s X.com to form the PayPal we know today.
As VP of Corp Dev at Confinity and first Senior VP at PayPal, Selby navigated complex partnerships and growth strategy. He helped guide PayPal‘s early buildout internationally.
1999-2002 PayPal Growth Timeline
Year Users Payment Volume Year-over-Year Growth
2000 1 Mil $100 Mil
2001 6 Mil $700 Mil 600%
2002 38 Mil $6.1 Bil 770%Former colleagues describe his talents for striking complex partnerships deals and calm leadership style even during the chaos of hypergrowth.
When PayPal sold to eBay in July 2002 for a staggering $1.5 billion, Selby‘s shares earned him an immense fortune practically overnight in his late 20s.
Investing Gains and Film Production
Post-PayPal, rather than retire rich, Selby ramped up new ventures alongside his PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel.
They co-founded hedge fund Clarium Capital in 2002 with Selby serving as Managing Director. The firm followed global macroeconomic trends to decide where to invest, trade, and profit from far-reaching world events.
Clarium Capital Performance
Year Returns
2005 +50%
2006 +35%
2007 +350%
2008 -23% (Despite crisis)In 2010, Selby shifted gears. He stepped back from Wall Street to pursue his lifelong passion for film and moved to Hollywood.
Over the next decade, he produced 10 independent films through Jack Selby Productions. For projects like The Last Rites of Ransom Pride or Silk Road, he chose creative freedom over big-budget constraints.
Jack Selby Film Production Hits
Movie Budget Box Office Accolades
Bernie $6 Mil $9.2 Mil Golden Globe nomination
Fastball - 96% Rotten Tomatoes
Dinner in America $3 Mil $347k Audience Award - SundanceHe‘s had some misses among experiments, like 2017‘s The Sacred which recouped just $3k of its $5 mil budget. But across a portfolio of indie films, Selby has proven an eye for cultivating visionary directing talent like Marc Webb who would later direct The Amazing Spider-Man films.
In 2017, Selby also brought virtual reality (VR) cinema to Sundance to give festival-goers a first-hand look at the future of immersive entertainment tech.
Modern Investing and Startup Interests
Despite success carving an unconventional path through hedge funds and creative Hollywood, Selby retains deep roots in Silicon Valley tech.
In 2014 he joined Founders Fund as a VC focusing on Series A & B companies, often pairing with old friend Peter Thiel. Selby currently oversees investing at Thiel Capital which provides early-stage backing for startups across tech and disruptive innovations.
Jack Selby Investments
Company Industry Investment Size Current Valuation
SpaceX Aerospace & Satellites $100+ Billion
FreedomPay Payments Tech $1+ Billion
InvisionAZ Business Development $7+ MillionFor founders lucky enough to earn Selby‘s support, they often cite his operational experience and creative problem-solving. Rather than just a check, founders have praised his critical feedback, real-world guidance, and connections to catapult growth.
When evaluating startups, beyond financials Selby looks for missionary-minded teams aiming to genuinely advance entire industries – much like PayPal itself did for payments. He has particularly kept eyes on biometrics, longevity research, machine learning applications, and commerce infrastructure.
Final Chapter Yet to Be Written
Now into his late 40s, Jack Selby has already lived multiple career lives with enough monetary success to never work again. Yet like the true builders of Silicon Valley, he churns constantly toward his next frontier rather than resting on yesteryear‘s accomplishments.
Where he takes his fortunes and influence next remains unwritten – a new generation of founders may soon count Selby‘s support behind their endeavors while movie fans anticipate his next production. For an economics major just two decades out of college, Selby‘s journey proves with creativity, conviction, and calculated risk-taking, unlimited possibilities await.
Jack Selby Career Timeline
1996-99: Early corporate jobs in Germany
1999-2002: PayPal executive during hypergrowth era
2002-2010: Clarium Capital hedge fund managing director
2010-present: Film producer & venture capital investorIf his story so far indicates anything, Selby won‘t settle on just being a venture capitalist, influencer, or producer alone. PayPal mafia members rarely slow down. For driven individuals like Selby with relentless work ethics, "retirement" remains a foreign concept even with tens of millions banked.
We‘ll have to wait and see what act he prepares next in his elongated renaissance man career.
