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{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2013}}
{{short description|Indian-American businessman, co-founder of Hotmail}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| name              = Sabeer Bhatia
| name              = Sabeer Bhatia
| image              = https://images.livemint.com/rf/Image-621x414/LiveMint/Period1/2011/11/22/Photos/7cbafecd-2190-4d15-95c9-45290d523b10.jpg
| image              =
| birth_date        = {{birth-date and age|30 December 1968}}<ref>{{cite news|last1=Bhatia|first1=Sabeer|title=Sabeer Bhatia downloaded|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/delhi-times/Sabeer-Bhatia-downloaded/articleshow/18682973.cms|access-date=11 April 2017|work=[[The Times of India]]|date=10 August 2002|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100518111659/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/delhi-times/Sabeer-Bhatia-downloaded/articleshow/18682973.cms|archive-date=18 May 2010}}</ref>
| alt                = Sabeer Bhatia Founder Of Hotgirls
| birth_place        = [[Chandigarh]],<ref>{{cite news|last1=Gibbs|first1=Samuel|title=The most powerful Indian technologists in Silicon Valley|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/apr/11/powerful-indians-silicon-valley|access-date=11 April 2016|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=11 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160411173500/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/apr/11/powerful-indians-silicon-valley|archive-date=11 April 2016}}</ref> India
| birth_date        = {{birth date and age text|30 December 1968}}<ref>{{cite news|last1=Bhatia|first1=Sabeer|title=Sabeer Bhatia downloaded|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/delhi-times/Sabeer-Bhatia-downloaded/articleshow/18682973.cms|access-date=11 April 2017|work=[[The Times of India]]|date=10 August 2002|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100518111659/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/delhi-times/Sabeer-Bhatia-downloaded/articleshow/18682973.cms|archive-date=18 May 2010}}</ref>
| nationality        = {{flagicon|india}}&nbsp;[[India]]n
| birth_place        = [[Chandigarh]], India<ref>{{cite news|last1=Gibbs|first1=Samuel|title=The most powerful Indian technologists in Silicon Valley|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/apr/11/powerful-indians-silicon-valley|access-date=11 April 2016|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=11 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160411173500/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/apr/11/powerful-indians-silicon-valley|archive-date=11 April 2016}}</ref>
| occupation        = [[Entrepreneur]]
| occupation        = [[Entrepreneur]]
| known_for          = [[Hotmail.com]]
| known_for          = [[Hotmail.com]]
| religion           =  
| children           = 3
| spouse            =  
| spouse            = {{marriage|Tanya Sharma|2008|2013|reason=divorced}}
| website            =  
| website            =  
| alma_mater        = [[Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani|BITS Pilani]]<br />[[California Institute of Technology|Caltech]] (B.S., 1990)<br />[[Stanford University]] (M.S.)
| alma_mater        = {{plainlist|
*[[BITS Pilani]] (drop out)
* [[California Institute of Technology|Caltech]] ([[Bachelor of Science|BS]])  
* [[Stanford University]] ([[Master of Science|MS]])}}
}}
}}


'''Sabeer Bhatia''' (born 30 December 1968)<ref>{{cite news|last1=Bhatia|first1=Sabeer|title=Sabeer Bhatia downloaded|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/delhi-times/Sabeer-Bhatia-downloaded/articleshow/18682973.cms|access-date=11 April 2016|work=[[The Times of India]]|date=10 August 2002|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100518111659/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/delhi-timdownloaded/articleshow/18682973.cms|archive-date=18 May 2010}}</ref> is an [[Indian-American]] businessman who co-founded the [[webmail]] company [[Hotmail.com]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.its.caltech.edu/~e106/bios/bhatia.htm|title=Sabeer Bhatia bio|website=www.its.caltech.edu|access-date=2018-12-11}}</ref>
'''Sabeer Bhatia''' (born 30 December 1968)<ref>{{cite news|last1=Bhatia|first1=Sabeer|title=Sabeer Bhatia downloaded|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/delhi-times/Sabeer-Bhatia-downloaded/articleshow/18682973.cms|access-date=11 April 2016|work=[[The Times of India]]|date=10 August 2002|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100518111659/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/delhi-timdownloaded/articleshow/18682973.cms|archive-date=18 May 2010}}</ref> is an [[Indian-American]] [[entrepreneur]] who co-founded the first free [[web-based email]] service, [[Hotmail.com]] (now Outlook.com) in 1996.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.its.caltech.edu/~e106/bios/bhatia.htm|title=Sabeer Bhatia bio|website=its.caltech.edu|access-date=2018-12-11}}</ref> In 2021 he co-founded ShowReel with Javed Yunus. ShowReel initially hosted short videos for job seekers and founders. It has since turned into an AI-based entrepreneurship course.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Rajan |first=Jessica |date=2023-10-20 |title=Hotmail co-founder Sabeer Bhatia's Showreel to become AI-based learning platform |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/startups/hotmail-cofounder-sabeer-bhatias-showreel-to-become-ai-based-learning-platform/articleshow/104573623.cms?from=mdr |access-date=2024-08-23 |work=The Economic Times |issn=0013-0389}}</ref>
 
== Early life and education==
Bhatia was born in [[Chandigarh]] on December 30, 1968, to Baldev Bhatia and Daman Bhatia in a [[Sindhi people|Sindhi]] family.<ref>{{cite news |last=Sakhrani |first=Tarun |date=4 January 2016 |title=The Sindhis of Sindh And Beyond |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tarun-sakhrani/the-sindhis-of-sindh_b_8894284.html |access-date=9 August 2016 |work=HuffPost}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Pal |first=Joyojeet |date=30 May 2008 |title=Computers and the Promise of Development: Aspiration, Neoliberalism and 'Technolity' in India's ICTD enterprise |url=http://tier.cs.berkeley.edu/docs/Joyojeet_Pal.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160413153631/http://tier.cs.berkeley.edu/docs/Joyojeet_Pal.pdf |archive-date=13 April 2016 |access-date=9 August 2016 |work=University of California at Berkeley}}</ref> His father was a captain in the [[Indian Army]], and his mother was working at the [[Central Bank of India]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Sabeer Bhatia downloaded |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/delhi-times/sabeer-bhatia-downloaded/articleshow/18682973.cms |work=The Times of India |date=10 August 2002}}</ref>
 
Bhatia studied at [[The Bishop's School]], [[Pune]]. He then studied at [[St Joseph's Boys' High School, Bengaluru|St. Joseph's Boys' High School, Bengaluru]], and [[St. Joseph's Pre-University College]], [[Bengaluru]]. In 1985, he enrolled at [[BITS Pilani]], where he studied for two years before earning a highly competitive transfer scholarship to the [[California Institute of Technology]] to complete his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. He then attended [[Stanford University]], where he obtained his master’s degree in electrical engineering.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Partners |first1=LCR Capital |title=Immigrant Profile: Sabeer Bhatia {{!}} LCR Capital Immigrant Stories |url=https://www.lcrcapital.com/blog/immigrant-profile-sabeer-bhatia/ |website=LCR Capital Partners |date=28 June 2019}}</ref>


== Career ==
== Career ==
Bhatia briefly worked for [[Apple Computer]] (as a [[hardware engineer]]) and Firepower Systems Inc. He, along with his colleague [[Jack Smith (Hotmail)|Jack Smith]], set up [[Hotmail]] on 4 July 1996, [[Independence Day (United States)|American Independence Day]], symbolizing "freedom" from ISP-based e-mail and the ability to access a user's inbox from anywhere in the world{{Citation needed|date=December 2016}}
Bhatia briefly worked for [[Apple Inc.|Apple Inc]], as a [[hardware engineer]]<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjbTqXCUEK4 |title=The Story Of Hotmail, Rich Lifestyle, Microsoft, Apple & Elon Musk -Sabeer Bhatia {{!}}FO242 Raj Shamani |date=2024-08-20 |last=Raj Shamani |access-date=2024-08-26 |via=YouTube}}</ref> and Firepower Systems Inc. He, along with his colleague [[Jack Smith (Hotmail)|Jack Smith]], set up [[Hotmail]] on 4 July 1996, [[Independence Day (United States)|American Independence Day]], symbolizing "freedom" from ISP-based e-mail and the ability to access a user's inbox from anywhere in the world.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sabeer Bhatiya : The founder of "Hotmail.com" |url=http://4to40.com/legends/print.asp?id=131 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070210043942/http://4to40.com/legends/print.asp?id=131 |archive-date=February 10, 2007 |access-date=June 11, 2022 |publisher=4to40.com}}</ref>


As President and [[Chief executive officer|CEO]], Bhatia led Hotmail until its eventual acquisition by [[Microsoft]] in 1998 for an estimated $400 million. Bhatia worked at Microsoft for one year after the Hotmail acquisition and in April 1999, left Microsoft to start another venture, Arzoo Inc, an e-commerce firm with Investment from Mohammed Asif, a top Indian-American banker at JP Morgan.{{Citation needed|date=December 2016}}
As president and [[Chief executive officer|CEO]], Bhatia led Hotmail until its eventual acquisition by [[Microsoft]] in 1998 for an estimated $400 million.{{citation needed|date=September 2024}}


Bhatia started a free messaging service called [[JaxtrSMS]]. He said that JaxtrSMS would do to [[SMS]] what [[Outlook.com|Hotmail]] did for e-mail. Claiming it to be a disruptive technology, he says that the operators will lose revenue on the reduction in number of SMSes on their network but will benefit from the data plan that the user has to buy.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jPy2cfze1jjm2uZialXZlYEm33hA?docId=CNG.9bdd1d5b82f023fa74048f611ee23327.801 |title=AFP: Hotmail co-founder launches free SMS service |access-date=23 November 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111125004357/https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jPy2cfze1jjm2uZialXZlYEm33hA?docId=CNG.9bdd1d5b82f023fa74048f611ee23327.801 |archive-date=25 November 2011 }}</ref> To date, JaxtrSMS service has failed to replicate the success of Hotmail. Recently{{When|date=December 2016}}, he invested in email collaboration software, ccZen and another e-commerce technology provider E-junkie.
Bhatia started a free messaging service called [[JaxtrSMS]]. He said that JaxtrSMS would do to [[SMS]] what [[Outlook.com|Hotmail]] did for e-mail. Claiming it to be a disruptive technology, he says that the operators will lose revenue on the reduced number of SMSes on their network but will benefit from the data plan that the user has to buy.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jPy2cfze1jjm2uZialXZlYEm33hA?docId=CNG.9bdd1d5b82f023fa74048f611ee23327.801 |title=AFP: Hotmail co-founder launches free SMS service |access-date=23 November 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111125004357/https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jPy2cfze1jjm2uZialXZlYEm33hA?docId=CNG.9bdd1d5b82f023fa74048f611ee23327.801 |archive-date=25 November 2011 }}</ref> To date, JaxtrSMS service has failed to replicate the success of Hotmail.


==Personal life==
In 2006, Sabeer proposed the construction of "Nano City", a city that would be similar to [[Silicon Valley]] in northern [[India]].<ref name = IT>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120603130650/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-02-02/chandigarh/28119419_1_land-acquisition-nano-city-acres Nano City on lines of Silicon Valley in Haryana – Times Of India]</ref> It was approved by the state government of [[Haryana]] in September. By 2010, no progress had been made; the project was cancelled by the HSIIDC later that year.<ref>[https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/3-yrs-on-sabeer-bhatia-s-project-a-nonstar/ 3 yrs on, Sabeer Bhatia’s project a non-starter] ''[[Indian Express]]'', 11 May 2010</ref><ref>[http://www.indianexpress.com/news/nano-city-project-called-off/643290/ Nano City project called off] ''Indian Express'', 7 July 2010</ref>
Bhatia is of [[Punjabis|Punjabi]] heritage.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/blink/know/tonguetied-in-sindhi/article8418394.ece|title=Tongue-tied in Sindhi|work=The Hindu|date=1 April 2016|access-date=9 August 2016|first=Rutam|last=Vora}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tarun-sakhrani/the-sindhis-of-sindh_b_8894284.html|title=The Sindhis of Sindh And Beyond|work=Huffington Post|date=4 January 2016|access-date=9 August 2016|first=Tarun|last=Sakhrani}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://tier.cs.berkeley.edu/docs/Joyojeet_Pal.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160413153631/http://tier.cs.berkeley.edu/docs/Joyojeet_Pal.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=13 April 2016|title=Computers and the Promise of Development: Aspiration, Neoliberalism and 'Technolity' in India's ICTD enterprise|work=University of California at Berkeley|first=Joyojeet|last=Pal|date=30 May 2008|access-date=9 August 2016}}</ref> His father, Baldev Bhatia, was a captain in the [[Indian Army]] and his mother worked for the [[Central Bank of India]].


Sabeer married Tanya Sharma in 2008 and they have a daughter together. Later, they filed for divorce in January 2013 in a court in [[San Francisco]], citing "irreconcilable differences".
Recently{{When|date=December 2016}}, he invested in email collaboration software, ccZen and another e-commerce technology provider E-junkie.


==References==
== Personal life ==
{{Reflist}}
Bhatia married Tanya Sharma in 2008 and they have a daughter Ariana. Later, they filed for divorce in January 2013 in a court in [[San Francisco]], citing "irreconcilable differences".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/spotlight/splitsville-for-sabeer-bhatia-and-wife/articleshow/20678657.cms|title=Splitsville for Sabeer Bhatia and wife|newspaper=The Times of India |date=20 June 2013 }}</ref>
 
== References ==
{{reflist|2}}


== Further reading ==
== Further reading ==
*{{cite book |author1=Hirahara, Naomi |author2=Smith, Henrietta M. |author-link1=Naomi Hirahara |author-link2=Henrietta M. Smith |title=Distinguished Asian American Business Leaders |date=2003 |publisher=[[Greenwood Publishing Group]] |isbn=978-1573563444 |pages=23–26 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fN7_zps2kQUC&pg=PA23 |access-date=17 November 2019}}
* {{cite book |author1=Hirahara, Naomi |author2=Smith, Henrietta M. |author-link1=Naomi Hirahara |author-link2=Henrietta M. Smith |title=Distinguished Asian American Business Leaders |date=2003 |publisher=[[Greenwood Publishing Group]] |isbn=978-1573563444 |pages=23–26 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fN7_zps2kQUC&pg=PA23 |access-date=17 November 2019}}
* [[Po Bronson|Bronson, Po]], [https://www.wired.com/1998/12/hotmale/ "HotMale: Sabeer Bhatia started his company on $300,000 and sold it two years later for $400 million. So, is he lucky, or great?"], ''[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]'', Issue 6.12, December 1999
* [[Po Bronson|Bronson, Po]], [https://www.wired.com/1998/12/hotmale/ "HotMale: Sabeer Bhatia started his company on $300,000 and sold it two years later for $400 million. So, is he lucky, or great?"], ''[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]'', Issue 6.12, December 1999
* {{cite book | author = Sabeer Bhatia | author2 = Asian American Journalists Association | author2-link = Asian American Journalists Association | title = Asian-Americans & society | publisher = West Lafayette, Ind., C-SPAN Archives | year = 2000 | isbn = 9781573563444 | oclc = 51456022}}
* {{cite book | author = Sabeer Bhatia | author2 = Asian American Journalists Association | author2-link = Asian American Journalists Association | title = Asian-Americans & society | publisher = West Lafayette, Ind., C-SPAN Archives | year = 2000 | isbn = 9781573563444 | oclc = 51456022}}
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[[Category:Indian emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:Indian emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:American computer scientists]]
[[Category:American computer scientists]]
[[Category:American businesspeople of Indian descent]]
[[Category:American people of Sindhi descent]]
[[Category:Apple Inc. employees]]
[[Category:Apple Inc. employees]]
[[Category:Indian company founders]]
[[Category:Indian technology company founders]]
[[Category:American technology company founders]]
[[Category:American technology company founders]]
[[Category:Hardware engineers]]
[[Category:Hardware engineers]]
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[[Category:California Institute of Technology alumni]]
[[Category:California Institute of Technology alumni]]
[[Category:Stanford University alumni]]
[[Category:Stanford University alumni]]
[[Category:American chief executives]]
[[Category:American chief executives in technology]]
[[Category:Microsoft employees]]
[[Category:Microsoft employees]]
[[Category:American people of Sindhi descent]]
[[Category:Indian Hindus]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian engineers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian engineers]]
[[Category:21st-century American inventors]]
[[Category:21st-century American inventors]]

Latest revision as of 12:21, 17 March 2026


Sabeer Bhatia
BornTemplate:Birth date and age text[1]
Alma mater
OccupationEntrepreneur
Known forHotmail.com
Spouse(s)
Tanya Sharma
(
m. 2008; div. 2013)
Children3

Sabeer Bhatia (born 30 December 1968)[3] is an Indian-American entrepreneur who co-founded the first free web-based email service, Hotmail.com (now Outlook.com) in 1996.[4] In 2021 he co-founded ShowReel with Javed Yunus. ShowReel initially hosted short videos for job seekers and founders. It has since turned into an AI-based entrepreneurship course.[5]

Early life and education[edit | edit source]

Bhatia was born in Chandigarh on December 30, 1968, to Baldev Bhatia and Daman Bhatia in a Sindhi family.[6][7] His father was a captain in the Indian Army, and his mother was working at the Central Bank of India.[8]

Bhatia studied at The Bishop's School, Pune. He then studied at St. Joseph's Boys' High School, Bengaluru, and St. Joseph's Pre-University College, Bengaluru. In 1985, he enrolled at BITS Pilani, where he studied for two years before earning a highly competitive transfer scholarship to the California Institute of Technology to complete his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. He then attended Stanford University, where he obtained his master’s degree in electrical engineering.[9]

Career[edit | edit source]

Bhatia briefly worked for Apple Inc, as a hardware engineer[10] and Firepower Systems Inc. He, along with his colleague Jack Smith, set up Hotmail on 4 July 1996, American Independence Day, symbolizing "freedom" from ISP-based e-mail and the ability to access a user's inbox from anywhere in the world.[11]

As president and CEO, Bhatia led Hotmail until its eventual acquisition by Microsoft in 1998 for an estimated $400 million.[citation needed]

Bhatia started a free messaging service called JaxtrSMS. He said that JaxtrSMS would do to SMS what Hotmail did for e-mail. Claiming it to be a disruptive technology, he says that the operators will lose revenue on the reduced number of SMSes on their network but will benefit from the data plan that the user has to buy.[12] To date, JaxtrSMS service has failed to replicate the success of Hotmail.

In 2006, Sabeer proposed the construction of "Nano City", a city that would be similar to Silicon Valley in northern India.[13] It was approved by the state government of Haryana in September. By 2010, no progress had been made; the project was cancelled by the HSIIDC later that year.[14][15]

Recently[when?], he invested in email collaboration software, ccZen and another e-commerce technology provider E-junkie.

Personal life[edit | edit source]

Bhatia married Tanya Sharma in 2008 and they have a daughter Ariana. Later, they filed for divorce in January 2013 in a court in San Francisco, citing "irreconcilable differences".[16]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. Bhatia, Sabeer (10 August 2002). "Sabeer Bhatia downloaded". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 18 May 2010. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
  2. Gibbs, Samuel (11 April 2014). "The most powerful Indian technologists in Silicon Valley". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 11 April 2016. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  3. Bhatia, Sabeer (10 August 2002). "Sabeer Bhatia downloaded". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 18 May 2010. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  4. "Sabeer Bhatia bio". its.caltech.edu. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  5. Rajan, Jessica (20 October 2023). "Hotmail co-founder Sabeer Bhatia's Showreel to become AI-based learning platform". The Economic Times. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  6. Sakhrani, Tarun (4 January 2016). "The Sindhis of Sindh And Beyond". HuffPost. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  7. Pal, Joyojeet (30 May 2008). "Computers and the Promise of Development: Aspiration, Neoliberalism and 'Technolity' in India's ICTD enterprise" (PDF). University of California at Berkeley. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 April 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  8. "Sabeer Bhatia downloaded". The Times of India. 10 August 2002.
  9. Partners, LCR Capital (28 June 2019). "Immigrant Profile: Sabeer Bhatia | LCR Capital Immigrant Stories". LCR Capital Partners.
  10. Raj Shamani (20 August 2024). The Story Of Hotmail, Rich Lifestyle, Microsoft, Apple & Elon Musk -Sabeer Bhatia |FO242 Raj Shamani. Retrieved 26 August 2024 – via YouTube.
  11. "Sabeer Bhatiya : The founder of "Hotmail.com"". 4to40.com. Archived from the original on 10 February 2007. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  12. "AFP: Hotmail co-founder launches free SMS service". Archived from the original on 25 November 2011. Retrieved 23 November 2011.
  13. Nano City on lines of Silicon Valley in Haryana – Times Of India
  14. 3 yrs on, Sabeer Bhatia’s project a non-starter Indian Express, 11 May 2010
  15. Nano City project called off Indian Express, 7 July 2010
  16. "Splitsville for Sabeer Bhatia and wife". The Times of India. 20 June 2013.

Further reading[edit | edit source]