Noah Glass's $44 Billion Empire: The Unknown Journey of the Erased Founder

In the early 2020s, looking back at the history of Silicon Valley, one man keeps appearing repeatedly. His name is Noah Glass. He created the platform that would shake the world—Twitter—but he was pushed far away from that glory. What exactly happened? This story records the ambition, betrayal, and the truth of the founders buried in history.

The Age of Podcasting: Odeo’s Failure and Noah Glass’s Turning Point

In the early 2000s, Noah Glass founded a company called Odeo. The vision at the time was simple but innovative: to create a platform utilizing podcasting technology to deliver audio content. His team included talented engineers who would later change history.

Evan Williams served as CEO of Odeo, and Jack Dorsey joined as a young, talented coder. At that time, they were confident that a new era was coming. However, the market was not yet ready.

In 2005, Apple exerted its overwhelming influence. When podcasting features were integrated into iTunes, Odeo’s business model collapsed. The ideal platform Noah Glass had built was on the verge of vanishing just as it was about to come to fruition.

New Ideas Born from the Threat of Apple

The situation looked hopeless. Many entrepreneurs would have started writing their resumes. But Noah Glass chose a different path. He gathered his team and brainstormed a new idea with his last investment.

Jack Dorsey proposed a seemingly simple concept: an SMS-based tool that allows users to post short text messages. A system to share status updates within a 140-character limit. It might seem boring. But Noah Glass understood the potential of this idea.

He nurtured and refined this concept, naming it “Twitter.” A short, catchy name that hints something is about to happen. Noah Glass dedicated himself to developing this project into something big.

The Day Text-Based Social Media Changed the World

Twitter’s early days were filled with insights learned from the failure of podcasting. They pursued simplicity and optimized user experience. Noah Glass’s strategy reflected lessons learned from Apple’s incident.

As the technical foundation solidified, Twitter began to grow quietly but surely. Early users intuitively understood the platform’s potential. Politicians, celebrities, and ordinary users alike became captivated by this concise communication tool.

Internal Conflict: Clash of Trust and Ambition

However, things changed rapidly. As Twitter gained value, power dynamics subtly shifted. Evan Williams secretly lost faith in Twitter’s future and began to tell investors that the project was of little value. His goal was simple: to lower the company’s valuation so he could buy it back cheaply. This was a particularly blatant tactic in Silicon Valley.

Later, Jack Dorsey decided to exclude Noah Glass from the organization. The man who had conceived and worked tirelessly to realize the idea was fired via a text message—cold and ruthless. When Evan Williams signed off on that decision, Noah Glass was expelled from the platform he had created, without shares, credits, or anything else.

Twitter’s Explosive Growth and Noah Glass’s Marginalization

By 2007, Twitter was rapidly rising to become a central part of internet culture. Celebrities posted political statements, politicians spoke directly to the public, and social movements organized through this platform. Jack Dorsey, as CEO, led Twitter into global fame.

Meanwhile, Noah Glass was erased from Twitter’s history. Even as one of the founders, his contributions were undervalued, and his name was buried in the flow of time. Like a bad tweet, he was pushed deep into the platform’s layers.

Elon Musk Era: $44 Billion Acquisition and Rebranding to X

As time passed, Twitter grew into a cultural giant. In 2022, the company caught Elon Musk’s eye. He invested a staggering $44 billion to acquire Twitter. That amount is more than enough to buy a new island every week.

Subsequently, Musk rebranded Twitter as X, integrating it into his next ambitious project. A symbolic move from a media company to a payment platform.

But behind all headlines and management news, one unchanging truth remained: Noah Glass was the true source of the platform’s core idea and the person who pushed its realization. Yet, his name and contributions continued to be pushed to the periphery of history.

The Legacy of the Unrecognized Founder

What this story suggests is not just superficial success in technology or business. It’s a story about the complexities of human relationships, ambition and betrayal, and the incomplete nature of historical narratives.

Noah Glass conceived of Twitter and laid its foundation. It was more than just an app; it became a global communication infrastructure. He learned from Odeo’s failure and saw new possibilities. Without his insight and action, Twitter would not exist.

While Jack Dorsey and Evan Williams gained profit and glory, Noah Glass was pushed out of the organization. A common scene in Silicon Valley—climbing the ladder by knocking others down.

But here’s the most important point: Noah Glass has not lost. He may be forgotten, but without him, the $44 billion empire and Elon Musk’s rebranding to X would not exist.

Every time you see news about Twitter or X, remember Noah Glass. He may not have gained fame or wealth, but the footprints he left fundamentally changed the way the world communicates. History may forget its founders at times, but their impact never disappears.