Spotify founder Daniel Ek’s next act: Long bets in European defence, health
STOCKHOLM: When Daniel Ek founded Spotify in 2006, a viable music product was a “moon shot.” The global music industry was struggling with years of declining sales, online music piracy was rampant, and services like Apple’s iTunes were pricey.
Ek believed if access to music was as easy as turning on a tap – in a way that was legal and fair to artists – users would come. The key was streaming, not downloads, an idea that revolutionized the industry and catapulted Spotify into a $140 billion music powerhouse.
