In 2012, after witnessing firsthand how difficult it was to send money to South America while working as a software engineer at Airbnb, Brian Armstrong raised money and founded the cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase. As CEO of Coinbase, he established himself as a leader for troubled times when he offered severance to anyone who opposed the company mandate that the Coinbase workplace remain “mission-focused” and employees refrain from discussing political and social issues at work. This year, just nine years after founding Coinbase, Armstrong joined the elite billionaire’s club when he took Coinbase public.