Logo for InfluenceWatch InfluenceWatch

Donate
Person

Jeff T. Green

Contact InfluenceWatch with suggested edits or tips for additional profiles.

Jeff T. Green is a billionaire businessman and philanthropist for left-of-center causes. In addition, he is the founder of the Jeff T. Green Family Foundation. A former member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1 Green has criticized the church for hindering global progress” in women’s rights, civil rights and racial equality, and LGBT advancement. 2

Early Life

Jeff T. Green was born on March 15, 1977, 3 and received a bachelor of arts degree from Brigham Young University in 2001 and a second bachelor of arts degree in marketing communications from University of Southern California. 4

Green began his career as a technical account manager for MSN. 5 Green then created the world’s first online advertising services exchange, AdECN, which was acquired by Microsoft in 2009. 6 After two years of working for Microsoft, Green founded The Trade Desk, a company that competes with the largest online advertising companies to host advertising services for companies seeking to market their products. 7

LGBT Advocacy

In 2021 Jeff Green, a former member of the faith, 8 authored a letter directed at the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, criticizing the church for a host of issues, including the church’s opposition to same sex marriage. 9 In the letter, he accused the church of “hindering global progress” in women’s rights, civil rights and racial equality, and LGBT rights. 10

Green announced that the Green Family Foundation’s first major contribution would be a $600,000 grant to Equality Utah, 11 an LGBT advocacy organization that has challenged laws preventing teachers from discussing LGBT issues in public schools and successfully ended Utah laws granting private employers the right to decide whom they wish to employ in their businesses. 12

Trade Desk

In 2021, Jeff Green was the highest-paid CEO across the 358 firms in the S&P 500, with a nine-figure compensation package totaling $838 million after accounting for base salary, bonuses, and options in Trade Desk stock. 13

In 2021 the City Pension Fund for Firefighters and Police Officers of the City of Miami sued Trade Desk, alleging that the company corporate charter was violated to entrench Green’s control over Trade Desk by providing him with access to more stock than was permitted under the charter. 14

Giving Pledge

Jeff Green has an estimated net worth of $6 billion. He has committed through the Giving Pledge to spend 90% of his wealth on organizations whose objectives align with his through his family foundation Dataphilanthropy, now renamed the Jeff T. Green Family Foundation, over the course of his life. 15

References

  1. Swant, Marty. “Billionaire Ad-Tech Founder Jeff Green’s Critical Letter to Mormon Church Explains Why He Cut Ties.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, December 22, 2021. https://www.forbes.com/sites/martyswant/2021/12/22/billionaire-ad-tech-founder-jeff-green-resigns-from-mormon-church/.
  2. Holpuch, Amanda. New York Times. December 21, 2021. Accessed August 18, 2022. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/21/us/jeff-green-resigns-lds.html
  3. “Jeff Green – Profule” Net Worth. https://networth.name/net-worth-profile/1354/Jeff-Green-%28businessman%29-Net-Worth
  4. Palya, Ashley. “Who Is Businessman Jeff T. Green? Utah’s Richest Man Leaves Mormon Church, Donates To LGBTQ Rights Group” International Business Times. December 22, 2021. Accessed August 21, 2022. https://www.ibtimes.com/who-businessman-jeff-t-green-utahs-richest-man-leaves-mormon-church-donates-lgbtq-3362578
  5. “Personal Details – Jeff Green” The Trade Desk. https://investors.thetradedesk.com/governance/board-of-directors/person-details/default.aspx?ItemId=e0beff99-ce97-43ef-8e7f-643e33fe4171
  6. “Personal Details – Jeff Green” The Trade Desk. https://investors.thetradedesk.com/governance/board-of-directors/person-details/default.aspx?ItemId=e0beff99-ce97-43ef-8e7f-643e33fe4171
  7. Irwin, Taylor. “The Trade Desk: Google’s Threats Are Overblown” Seeking Alpha. April 8, 2022. August 20, 2022. https://seekingalpha.com/article/4500523-the-trade-desk-googles-threats-are-overblown
  8. [1] Swant, Marty. “Billionaire Ad-Tech Founder Jeff Green’s Critical Letter to Mormon Church Explains Why He Cut Ties.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, December 22, 2021. https://www.forbes.com/sites/martyswant/2021/12/22/billionaire-ad-tech-founder-jeff-green-resigns-from-mormon-church/.
  9.  Stack, Peggy F. “Wealthiest Utah native resigns from the LDS Church” The Salt Lake Tribune. December 20, 2021. Accessed August 18, 2022. https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2021/12/20/wealthiest-utah-native/
  10. Holpuch, Amanda. New York Times. December 21, 2021. Accessed August 18, 2022. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/21/us/jeff-green-resigns-lds.html
  11. Stack, Peggy F. “Wealthiest Utah native resigns from the LDS Church” The Salt Lake Tribune. December 20, 2021. Accessed August 18, 2022. https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2021/12/20/wealthiest-utah-native/
  12. “Victories” Equality Utah. https://www.equalityutah.org/victories
  13. Carpenter, Scott. “With $830 million in pay, this Ventura tech exec boasts highest CEO compensation in U.S.” April 19, 2022. August 18, 2022. https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2022-04-19/trade-desk-jeff-green-compensation
  14. Leonard, Mike. “Trade Desk Board Sued Over Billionaire CEO’s Super-Voting Stock” July 2, 2021. Accessed August 20, 2022. https://news.bloomberglaw.com/securities-law/trade-desk-board-sued-over-billionaire-ceos-super-voting-stock?context=article-related
  15. Veljanovski, Lydia. “Utah Billionaire Pledges To Give Away 90 Percent of His Fortune To Help Others” Newsweek. November 17, 2021. Accessed August 20, 2022.
    https://www.newsweek.com/utah-billionaire-pledges-give-away-90-percent-fortune-help-others-1650147?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR2qI1SmlDn9tmNbUKof0TLxzO8AVh0xGmUyxys9McwQ54Zp4RESH_Z8gmg#Echobox=1637185082
  See an error? Let us know!