Plentiful venture capital funding allowed them to stay private and put off turning a profit. Start-ups like Airbnb compensate workers, especially those who join in the earliest years, with potentially lucrative stock options and restricted stock units. Airbnb has raised more than $3 billion in venture capital funding. Sequoia Capital, Founders Fund and Accel also own sizable stakes. The three men founded Airbnb in 2008 after they rented out a spare room in their apartment to make extra money.

Source: New York Times November 16, 2020 22:02 UTC