Alfred Lin is a Taiwanese-American venture capitalist who joined Sequoia Capital in 2010 after building his career as an operator, not just an investor - a background that shapes how he evaluates founders today. Before Sequoia, he served as Chairman, COO, and CFO of Zappos, guiding the online retailer to a $1.2 billion acquisition by Amazon in 2009. He first crossed paths with Sequoia as an operator at LinkExchange, which the firm backed in the 1990s. At Sequoia, Lin has specialized in consumer, marketplace, and enterprise software investments, leading or co-leading the firm's positions in Airbnb, DoorDash, and OpenAI. He topped the Forbes Midas List of top venture capitalists in both 2021 and 2025.
Education
B.A. Applied Mathematics, Harvard University
M.S. Statistics, Stanford University
Previous Experience
Chairman, COO & CFO, Zappos.com (2005–2010) - acquired by Amazon for $1.2B
VP Finance & Business Development, Tellme Networks (2001–2005) - acquired by Microsoft
Co-Founder, Venture Frogs (1999–2014)
Co-Founder & VP Finance, LinkExchange (1996–1999) - acquired by Microsoft for $265M