Zoom CEO Eric Yuan says he's enjoyed working longer hours during the pandemic - and that his net worth jumping to $20 billion hasn't changed his life all that much
- Zoom CEO and founder Eric Yuan told Business Insider Thursday he has enjoyed working longer hours during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- "I do enjoy that because I have more responsibility, because we are helping people stay connected during the pandemic crisis," he told Editor-in-Chief Alyson Shontell.
- Yuan said he tries to reserve 15 minutes in the evening to reflect on what he could have done differently during the day.
- So far, the 50-year-old billionaire's net worth has jumped more than 400% to $20 billion over the course of this year. But "Zoom is still Zoom ... I'm still myself," he said.
Zoom CEO and founder Eric Yuan said Thursday he had enjoyed working longer hours during the COVID-19 pandemic - and that despite his net worth jumping 400% this year, his outlook on life hadn't changed all that much.
Zoom, previously used mainly by businesses, turned into a household name this year when people used it to chat to loved ones while social distancing during the coronavirus crisis. In November, it reported quarterly revenue of $777.2 million, up 367% year-on-year. Its stock has skyrocketed nearly 500% in 2020.
In an interview with Business Insider's Editor-in-Chief Alyson Shontell at the Web Summit Conference, Yuan spoke about the growth of Zoom during the pandemic. He said he's working longer hours - but that but he likes it.
"I do enjoy more, work more long hours," Yuan said. "I do enjoy that because I have more responsibility, because we are helping people stay connected during the pandemic crisis."
So far, the 50-year-old billionaire's net worth has jumped more than 400% to $20 billion over the course of 2020.
"So the more successful you get, the more you want to work," said Shontell. "Absolutely, because I enjoy that," replied Yuan.
Yuan's working day usually involves lots of meetings - but he tries to reserve 15 minutes in the evening to reflect on what he could have done differently during the day, he said.
Asked how his success this year has altered his perspective on life, Yuan said he doesn't think anything has changed.
He said despite a lot of people working from home, "Zoom is still Zoom" - adding, "I'm still myself."
He said his number-one priority is making sure all of his employees at Zoom are happy. "Together we make our customers happy. Every day I think about that. I think nothing has changed."
Zoom's shares sunk as much as 20% after Pfizer announced November 9 its COVID-19 vaccine was more than 90% effective in late-stage trial results. And it wasn't the only stay-at-home product that slumped amid the news.
Shares in DocuSign, Peloton, and Wayfair also fell as investors put bets on safe reopenings.
Zoom is Apple's most downloaded app of 2020, according to Apple's list of the most downloaded apps and games over the course of the year, which it released Wednesday.