David Kirkpatrick
David Kirkpatrick is a leading technology journalist, author, and the Founder of Techonomy, a media and conference company exploring the intersection of technology, business, and society. He hosts the Techonomy annual conference, which brings together global leaders to examine how technology drives business growth, social progress, and the urgent need to adapt to the accelerating pace of digital transformation. Previously, Kirkpatrick spent 25 years at Fortune, where he covered the computer and technology industries and the Internet’s impact on business and society. At Fortune, he also founded and hosted its influential Brainstorm and Brainstorm Tech conferences. He is the author of the New York Times bestselling book “The Facebook Effect: The Inside Story of the Company That Is Connecting the World,” published in 32 countries and regarded as the definitive account of Facebook’s rise. Today, Kirkpatrick’s work increasingly focuses on climate tech, climate action, and addressing the global climate crisis, reflecting his commitment to exploring how innovation can help solve the world’s most urgent challenges.
David Kirkpatrick Professional Experience / Academic History
Professional Experience
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Founder and Editor-in-Chief
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Member, Board of Directors
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Contributing Editor
Academic History
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B.A., English
David Kirkpatrick served as Senior Editor for Internet and Technology at Fortune, where he covered groundbreaking stories on major technology companies including Apple, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Sun Microsystems, and many others.
In 2001, he launched Fortune’s Brainstorm conference series, which he led from 2001 to 2006, followed by the Brainstorm Tech conferences from 2007 to 2009.
These influential gatherings brought together global leaders across business, government, science, and academia.
Notable attendees included President Bill Clinton, Google co-founder Larry Page, Meg Whitman, Scott Cook, U.S. Supreme Court Justices Stephen Breyer and Sandra Day O'Connor, Paul Wolfowitz, Senator John McCain, and international dignitaries such as the foreign minister of Poland.
Kirkpatrick is the author of The Facebook Effect, a New York Times bestselling book that remains the only profile of Facebook and CEO Mark Zuckerberg produced with the company’s official cooperation.
The book became an international best-seller, published in 32 languages including Vietnamese, Croatian, and Catalan, and was widely distributed across the UK, British Commonwealth, Russia, China, Spain, Latin America, and beyond.
It is recognized as the definitive account of Facebook’s founding and global impact.
MEDIA PRESENCE & PUBLICATIONS
As a highly regarded technology journalist and commentator, David Kirkpatrick is frequently featured on television, radio, and digital media as an expert on technology, business, and society.
Beyond writing for Techonomy, he contributes to leading outlets including Forbes, The Daily Beast, and Vanity Fair, and is an active voice on LinkedIn.
His reporting has profiled influential figures such as Sean Parker and Jack Dorsey.
As a speaker, moderator, and host, Kirkpatrick regularly leads conversations on technology’s impact on the economy, the Internet, social media, climate change, and the broader intersection of technology and society.