Vlad Tenev Dropped Out of College & Launched 2 Stock Trading Companies Before Robinhood (Part 1)

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Robinhood co-founder and CEO Vlad Tenev sits down with DJ Vlad for a wide-ranging VladTV interview on his path from immigrant kid to fintech leader. Tenev reflects on being born in Varna, Bulgaria, moving to America in 1992, and watching his father’s academic journey from the University of Delaware to the University of Maryland after the fall of the Berlin Wall. He also discusses learning English, adjusting to U.S. schools, and eventually studying math at Stanford before leaving UCLA’s PhD track with a master’s degree.

The conversation also introduces Baiju Bhatt, Tenev’s Stanford friend and future Robinhood co-founder, and traces the early mindset that led Tenev toward launching two stock-trading companies before building the commission-free trading app with nearly $400 billion in platform assets. From Stanford, UCLA, Bulgaria, and immigrant ambition to fintech disruption, this interview explores the roots of one of Silicon Valley’s biggest finance stories.