Yuri Milner — Founder, DST Global

**Yuri Milner** is the founder of **DST Global**, the late-stage investment firm that was among the earliest international investors in Facebook, Twitter, Alibaba, Spotify, Airbnb, and Snapchat. Born in Moscow, trained as a physicist, and educated at Wharton, he pioneered the strategy of investing large amounts ($200M+) in late-stage private companies at premium valuations in exchange for common stock (not preferred) — accepting fewer protections for faster deal closure and no board seat.