Martin Lorentzon studied civil engineering at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg and economics at the Stockholm School of Economics. In 1999, Lorentzon co-founded TradeDoubler, one of Europe's first digital performance marketing and affiliate networks, which went public on the Stockholm Stock Exchange in 2005.
Now wealthy and in search of a defining next chapter, Lorentzon met 23-year-old Daniel Ek. Lorentzon wrote the initial angel checks and provided the strategic gravitas needed to negotiate directly with major global record labels (Universal, Sony, Warner). Serving as Spotify's first CEO from 2006 to 2013, Lorentzon steered the company through licensing battles, freemium mechanics, and transatlantic launch.
Lorentzon's dual-class shareholding with Ek gives them majority voting control over Spotify (NYSE: SPOT). A philanthropist and champion of Swedish entrepreneurship, Lorentzon also sits on the Prince Daniel Fellowship.