Paul Graham

The mind behind Y Combinator and modern startup theory.

Knowledge panel

Occupation

Founder of YC

Born

November 13, 1964

Zodiac

Scorpio

22,568

days alive

61

years old

Born
November 13, 1964
Zodiac
♏︎Scorpio·dragon 🐉
Updated Jul 2026

About

Paul Graham is a British-American computer scientist, entrepreneur, and essayist. He co-founded Y Combinator, the most influential startup accelerator in Silicon Valley.

Trivia

  • •He created the programming language Arc, a minimalist dialect of Lisp.
  • •Before becoming a computer scientist, he studied painting at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and the Florence Academy of Art.
  • •His 2002 essay, 'A Plan for Spam,' popularized the use of Bayesian filtering for anti-spam systems.

Birth Chart

Natal Chart

Paul's Birth Chart

Astrology
♈︎♉︎♊︎♋︎♌︎♍︎♎︎♏︎♐︎♑︎♒︎♓︎☉☽☿♀♂♃♄⛢♆♇
Fire
Earth
Air
Water
☉

Sun Sign

Scorpio♏︎

☽

Moon Sign

Pisces♓︎

Dominant Element

Water

⚠️ Rising sign requires birth time for accurate calculation

Planetary positions calculated for November 13, 1964

Connections2

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V

Music

Sam Altman

Sam Altman

CEO of OpenAI

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⚡ Timeline
2024
Day 21,598
Age 59

Continued involvement with Y Combinator

Confidence
96%
Jan 1, 2024

Remains involved in Y Combinator activities and the startup ecosystem.

2023
Day 21,233
Age 58

Focus on Essays and Writing

Confidence
96%
Jan 1, 2023

Continues to publish essays on topics related to startups, technology, and society.

2014
Day 17,946
Age 49

Stepped down as president of Y Combinator

Confidence
96%
Jan 1, 2014

Resigned as president of Y Combinator, transitioning leadership.

2005
Day 14,718
Age 40

Founded Y Combinator

Confidence
96%
Mar 1, 2005

Co-founded Y Combinator, a seed accelerator.

2004
Day 14,293
Age 39

Published 'Hackers & Painters'

Confidence
96%
Jan 1, 2004

Published a collection of essays on programming and startups.

1998
Day 12,102
Age 33

Viaweb Acquired by Yahoo!

Confidence
96%
Jan 1, 1998

Viaweb, co-founded by Graham, was acquired by Yahoo! and became Yahoo! Store.

1995
Day 11,006
Age 30

Co-founded Viaweb

Confidence
96%
Jan 1, 1995

Co-founded Viaweb, the first application service provider.

1990
Day 9,180
Age 25

Earned PhD in Computer Science

Confidence
96%
Jan 1, 1990

Received a PhD in Computer Science from Harvard University.

1988
Day 8,449
Age 23

Studied Painting at the Accademia di Belle Arti

Confidence
96%
Jan 1, 1988

Studied painting at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence.

1986
Day 7,719
Age 21

Attended RISD

Confidence
96%
Jan 1, 1986

Studied at Rhode Island School of Design.

Day 7,719
Age 21

Graduated from Cornell University

Confidence
96%
Jan 1, 1986

Graduated with a Bachelor's degree from Cornell University.

1964
Day 0
Age 0

Born in England

Confidence
96%
Nov 13, 1964

Born in England.