The Airbnb Story: How Three Ordinary Guys Disrupted an Industry, Made Billions . . . and Created Plenty of Controversy by Leigh Gallaher

In 2008, three guys had an idea—rent out air mattresses on the floor of their San Francisco apartment and offer breakfast to their guests. Little did they know that this would be the start of Airbnb, an online marketplace which would turn the hospitality industry on its head and make its founders wealthy.

Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia, and Nathan Blecharczyk were the three ordinary guys who had the original vision for Airbnb. All three had been living in San Francisco for some time trying to make a living. They had all studied design, but Brian and Joe had quit their jobs in search of something bigger. Nathan had been working on a start-up, but it was not doing well.

It was not until 2009, however, that the Airbnb concept really started to take off. After initially renting out their three air mattresses, they soon began to rent out entire apartments and houses. This was revolutionary for the hospitality industry, and people began to use the website as an alternative to traditional hotels.

The founders of Airbnb continued to improve their product, eventually launching their own app in 2011, which was hugely successful. Soon, they were receiving a million nights booked a year on their website, and the company started expanding into other cities and countries.

In the following years, Airbnb spread to over 191 countries around the world. It began to challenge the traditional hotel industry, and revenues started shooting up. In 2018, Airbnb had grown to become one of the most valuable start-ups in the world, making it possible for its founders to become billionaires.

However, the success of Airbnb has also brought plenty of controversy into the mix. Cities around the world are grappling with regulation of Airbnb and the impact it has on their housing markets. There have also been many reports of Airbnb hosts discriminating against guests, often on the basis of race or religion, with little recourse for the victim.

Airbnb is an incredible story of how three ordinary guys managed to create such a huge company and disrupt an entire industry. It has made its founders billionaires, but with it come plenty of controversy as businesses and governments grapple with its impact. With more regulation likely to come, the future of Airbnb remains uncertain. However, one thing is for sure–it has made a huge impact since its inception and it looks set to be around for many years to come.