Anderson's parents were medical missionarieswho traveled round the world. Aderson was born in Pakistan in 1957 and spent his early life traveling with his parents mostly in Pakistan, India and Afghanistan. Evfentually he returned to England to attend Monkton Combe School, a boarding school in Bath, England. Anderson then went on to Oxford Universitywhere he studied physics and later philosophy, politics and economics. He would eventually graduate with a degree in philosophy in 1978.
After leaving Oxford Chris began his career as a journalist. He worked in newspapers and radio first for a local newspar and eventually for two years producing a world news service in the Seychelles Islands.
Chris was captivated by the personal computer revolution and became an editor at one of the UK's early computer magazines in 1984. He then took out a loan for $25,000 and started Future Publishing. At first the publishing company focused on specialist computer publications but eventually expanded into other areas such as cycling, music, video games, technology and design. For the first seven years Future Publishing doubled in size every year. Chris moved to the United States where he would build Imagine Media in1994. Imagine Media and IGN a popular video game users website. Eventually the two publishing companies Future Publishing and Imagine Media would be merged together. Together they were called Future US and became a public company in 1999.
Anderson's sucess gave him the money to start his first nonprofit organization. The Sparkling Foundation's goal was to tackle global issues using media, technology, entrepreneurship and ideas. Through the Sapling Foundation Chris Anderson would become involved in TED, the project that he is best known for. According to the Times, Anderson purchased TED with the idea that it would “change minds and maybe the world,” he said. That required an act of what Mr. Anderson likes to call “radical openness” by allowing the public access to the once-cloistered confab"
Originally TED was was single confrence held in Monterey California, The confrence was focused on Technology, Entertainment and Design and by invitation only. Sapling Fondation bought the confrence in 2001 and began to take the confrence in a direction that would radically change it. First the confrence was expanded and today there are multiple confrences held in 150 countries around the worls. The confrence now covers all topics not just science and technology. Anderson added a fellow ship program that can now boast 300 alumni. He also intoduced the TED Prize wich awards $1 million dallars and "one wish to change the world" to each winner.
| Net Worth 2021: | 14 million |
