Thread by @timthoughtleadr

This is the youngest billionaire you've never heard of.

In 2015, he developed an autoimmune disease and couldn't leave his bed.

So he spent his time building a web conference app...

And turned it into a $7+ Billion empire.

Here's how he did it:

Johnny Boufarhat's life changed forever after a trip to Southeast Asia.

A rare bug attacked his body in 2015.

The mechanical engineering graduate suddenly found himself trapped.

Not in a foreign country. But in his own home...

Doctors diagnosed him with a severe condition.

He became immuno-suppressed. Extreme fatigue. Constant vomiting.

For over a year, he couldn't leave his house.

He described himself as "allergic to the world."

But isolation sparked something unexpected:

While stuck in bed, Johnny discovered a painful truth.

He could join webinars. He could watch presentations.

• He couldn't network
• He couldn't connect
• He couldn't truly engage

Existing platforms were missing something crucial.

That frustration became his fuel...

So from his bed, Johnny started coding.

His goal wasn't just another video platform.

He wanted to recreate the magic of real events.

The networking. The energy. The human connection.

Line by line, he built what would become Hopin:

Johnny launched Hopin in November 2019.

Just 4 months before COVID-19 shut down the world.

When lockdowns hit in March 2020, everything changed.

Suddenly, every business on Earth needed virtual events.

And Johnny had built exactly what they needed...

While Zoom offered basic video calls, Hopin offered experiences:

• Interactive stages
• Breakout sessions
• Virtual expo booths
• One-on-one networking

The UN used it. NATO used it. Slack and Unilever too.

Organizations that needed more than just "another video call."

In 2019, Hopin had just 6 employees.

Within 2 years:

• 800+ staff
• Millions of users
• $7.8 billion valuation

Johnny built the fastest-growing European tech startup ever:

Hopin succeeded because it was built entirely remote from day one.

No office. No headquarters. Just a distributed global team.

Johnny knew firsthand that location didn't matter.

What mattered was genuine human connection.

His personal struggle taught him what others missed:

Virtual events aren't about replicating in-person meetings.

They're about creating new ways to connect.

Johnny's illness forced him to reimagine connection itself.

From bedridden patient to billionaire founder at 29.

From isolation to connecting millions worldwide.

His net worth reached an estimated $3.2 billion.

Johnny solved a problem he lived every single day.

Johnny's story reveals a pattern for those who have breakthroughs:

They don't hide from their constraints. They build from them.

His illness forced remote-first thinking before remote was mainstream.

That constraint became his billion-dollar advantage.

Every founder has unique disadvantages.

But what if those constraints are actually your competitive edge?

Your story, properly positioned, attracts the right opportunities.

It's how you write built-in leverage.

And it's exactly why thoughtleadr was created...

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We handle everything:

• Posting for consistent value
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Founders get ALL of the visibility...

To date, we've helped 140+ founders receive:

• 3+ Billion views
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— Without lifting a finger.

This is where you create your own advantage.

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Thanks for reading! A bit about me:

2 years ago, I co-founded @ThoughtleadrX — a premium personal branding agency for world-class founders and executives looking to
10x reach + revenue by dominating socials.

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Video Credits:

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