Have you ever wondered how a former Google employee became one of Silicon Valley’s most successful agricultural technology pioneers? David Friedberg built a $1.3 billion fortune by solving fundamental problems in farming, food production, and climate technology.
David Albert Friedberg (born June 6, 1980) is a South African-American entrepreneur, businessman, and angel investor who founded The Climate Corporation, whose $1.1 billion sale to Monsanto in 2013 made it the first unicorn in the emerging agricultural technology space. Today, he continues building companies through The Production Board while co-hosting the influential All-In podcast.
You’ll discover how Friedberg identified untapped opportunities in agriculture, built multiple successful companies, and established himself as a thought leader in sustainability and technology investing.
Who is David Friedberg?
David Friedberg is a South African-American entrepreneur and billionaire investor with a net worth of $1.3 billion. He founded The Climate Corporation (sold to Monsanto for $1.1 billion), co-hosts the All-In podcast, and currently leads The Production Board and Ohalo Genetics. Known for revolutionizing agricultural technology and climate solutions.
David Friedberg Net Worth and Financial Success
David Friedberg’s net worth is estimated to be approximately $1.3 billion as of 2025, primarily derived from his agricultural technology ventures and strategic investments. This wealth positions him among Silicon Valley’s most successful entrepreneurs focused on solving fundamental global challenges.
How David Friedberg Built His Wealth
Friedberg’s wealth comes from multiple successful ventures: selling The Climate Corporation to Monsanto for $1.1 billion, founding The Production Board venture foundry, creating Ohalo Genetics, and strategic investments in tech companies. His portfolio includes stock holdings in companies like Palantir, Alphabet, and private biotech firms.
The entrepreneur’s contrarian approach sets him apart from typical Silicon Valley investors. While others chased social media and crypto, Friedberg built sustainable businesses in agriculture and biotechnology. This focus on fundamental human needs – food, health, and sustainability – has proven exceptionally profitable.
David Friedberg vs Other All-In Podcast Hosts
David Friedberg may top the list with an estimated $1.2 billion among All-In podcast hosts, but David Sacks is close depending on Craft Ventures’ valuation. His wealth concentration in agricultural technology distinguishes him from his co-hosts who focus more broadly on software and traditional tech investments.
The Climate Corporation: Friedberg’s Billion-Dollar Exit
In 2006, he founded his first company, WeatherBill, to create and buy custom weather insurance online. The idea came while driving past San Francisco’s Bike Hut, where he noticed sales dropped on rainy days. This observation sparked his realization that weather significantly impacts business performance.
From WeatherBill to The Climate Corporation
WeatherBill secured funding from Founders Fund, Khosla Ventures, Google Ventures, New Enterprise Associates, Index Ventures and Atomico. In 2011, Friedberg changed WeatherBill’s name to The Climate Corporation, focusing on offering farmers weather insurance and the climate.com service to help them track, analyze, and make field-specific decisions.
The company transformed agriculture through data analytics and machine learning. The Climate Corporation provided farmers with real-time insights to predict weather-related risks, helped reduce crop losses by offering weather-based insurance policies, and used AI and machine learning to transform how farmers planned their seasons.
The Monsanto Acquisition
In October 2013, Monsanto announced that it was acquiring The Climate Corporation for about $1.1 billion. This deal marked agriculture technology’s first unicorn exit and established Friedberg as a pioneer in the agtech space. Friedberg joined Monsanto’s Executive Team after the acquisition and in 2016 shifted to an advisory role.
The Production Board: Building Future Industries
In 2016, Friedberg began talking with Larry Page about a way to build and finance more startups focused on food, agriculture, decarbonization and life sciences. Through parent company Alphabet, Page agreed to help finance a holding company that Friedberg would operate.
TPB Portfolio and Investment Strategy
TPB partners with scientists, businesspeople, and entrepreneurs to solve the world’s challenges, such as climate change. TPB portfolio businesses include Pattern Ag, Ohalo, Culture Biosciences, Triplebar Bio, Supergut and Cana.
In July 2021, Friedberg announced that The Production Board raised $300 million from Alphabet, Baillie Gifford, Allen & Co., BlackRock, Koch Disruptive Technologies and Morgan Stanley’s Counterpoint Global. This funding enables TPB to build companies from the ground up rather than just investing in existing startups.
Current Leadership Roles
Dave Friedberg is CEO of TPB and helps set strategy, define TPB’s investment theses, and manages key TPB investments. Dave is a director on the boards of Lavoro (Latin America’s largest ag inputs retailer) and Pattern Ag (the leading predictive agronomy company focused on soil biology).
David Friedberg Companies and Investments
| Company | Role | Industry | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Climate Corporation | Founder & Former CEO | Agricultural Technology | Sold to Monsanto ($1.1B) |
| The Production Board | Founder & CEO | Venture Foundry | Active |
| Ohalo Genetics | Co-Founder & CEO | Plant Breeding Technology | Active |
| Metromile | Founder & Chairman | Usage-Based Auto Insurance | Acquired 2022 |
| Pattern Ag | Board Director | Soil Biology & Agronomy | TPB Portfolio |
| Culture Biosciences | Investor | Biotechnology | TPB Portfolio |
Other Notable Investments
Friedberg founded car insurance firm Metromile in 2011 and was its chairman during its early years. He is also an angel investor in various technology, food, agriculture, and life sciences startups. In 2014, he purchased Canadian quinoa supplier NorQuin, North America’s largest supplier of quinoa.
All-In Podcast: Media Influence and Reach
Friedberg is one of the four co-hosts of All-In, a business and investment podcast with Chamath Palihapitiya, David O. Sacks, and Jason Calacanis. The All-In podcast was launched in March 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and covers current events, market trends, political issues, and industry insights.
Podcast Impact and Audience
The podcast features industry veterans who cover all things economic, tech, political, social & poker. This podcast boasts of more than 300k subscribers and close to 100k listeners tuning in every month. The show has become essential listening for entrepreneurs, investors, and business leaders seeking insider perspectives on major industry trends.
Dave co-hosts All-In, the world’s No. 1 podcast across technology, business and investing. His scientific background and agricultural expertise provide unique insights that complement his co-hosts’ perspectives on traditional technology investing.
David Friedberg Personal Life and Background
Friedberg was born in South Africa. At age six, Friedberg moved with his family to Los Angeles. He attended Clarkson University at just 16 years old. Later, he transferred to the University of California, Berkeley, where he focused on astrophysics.
Family and Marriage
David Friedberg is married to Allison Broude Friedberg. The couple shares a family that includes three children. Their residence serves as the center of family life in San Francisco, providing stability amid the often chaotic world of tech entrepreneurship.
David Friedberg is a vegetarian and is passionate about sustainability and alternative food production. He is married to Allison Broude Friedberg, who shares his interest in environmental sustainability. Their integration of values across different life domains creates coherence in potentially fragmented schedules, maintaining alignment between principles and lived experience.
Privacy and Public Presence
Unlike her husband, who appears on the All-In podcast, David Friedberg’s wife maintains a more private public presence. This approach protects their relationships while allowing David to share professional insights through media platforms.
Early Career and Google Experience
After several years in investment banking and private equity, Friedberg joined Google in March 2004 as one of the first 1,000 employees and a founding member of Google’s Corporate Development group. As Corporate Development and Business Product Manager, Friedberg helped run Google’s online advertising platform, AdWords, and negotiated acquisitions and worked with Google co-founder Larry Page.
Patents and Innovation
Spanning his career, he has contributed to 32 patents. This innovation background demonstrates his consistent focus on solving technical problems through intellectual property development, a pattern that continued throughout his entrepreneurial ventures.
Future Outlook and Investment Philosophy
Dave is a self-described “extreme optimist.” He believes that capitalism – specifically entrepreneurship – is the fastest way to improve human productivity and potential, unlocking a more abundant and sustainable future for all.
By 2030, don’t be surprised if David Friedberg net worth exceeds $5 billion, cementing his position as one of the most successful entrepreneurs of his generation. His continued focus on fundamental global challenges positions him well for sustained growth as climate technology and sustainable agriculture become increasingly important.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is David Friedberg’s current net worth?
David Friedberg’s net worth is estimated at $1.3 billion as of 2025, primarily from his Climate Corporation sale and current ventures through The Production Board.
How did David Friedberg make his money?
Friedberg built his wealth by founding The Climate Corporation (sold for $1.1 billion), creating The Production Board venture foundry, and making strategic investments in agricultural and climate technology companies.
What companies does David Friedberg currently run?
Friedberg is currently CEO of The Production Board and co-founder/CEO of Ohalo Genetics. He also serves as board director for several portfolio companies including Pattern Ag.
Is David Friedberg married with children?
Yes, David Friedberg is married to Allison Broude Friedberg and they have three children together. The family lives in San Francisco and maintains a relatively private lifestyle despite his public business profile.
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