Submission timeline
2007–2026One slot for every year since HN launched. Height is that year's peak points; orange marks a 100+ point or 50+ comment breakout. Select a bar to open its strongest thread.
First comments on top threads
HN comment orderElon Musk is missing from the famous photo (http://victorstuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/paypal.jpg) because he received an innovator of the year award in Chicago at the same time as when the picture was taken. The YouTube founders, Chad Hurley and Steve Chen, were not allowed to participate in the photo because the corporate handlers at Google didn't want them to be linked to the mafia ;)
How much of their many successes is due to abilities versus timing? The period they invested their initial PayPal fortunes in was in the nasccent Web 2.0 era. They had the benefit of capital from the PayPal exit, plus an up to date understanding of modern web capabilities, plus the initial open source platforms and leverage, plus a great deal of learning about what didn't work in the .COM 1.0 bubble. Plus intelligence, inventiveness and drive.
The first top-level comment from each of the four biggest threads, in HN’s own order. Excerpts are shortened; open a comment for full context.
- Breakout years
- 2
- Total points
- 283
- Total comments
- 116
100+ points or 50+ comments
reference only — not used in Hall rules or ranking
reference only — not used in Hall rules or ranking
Every submission
| Date | Title as submitted | By | Points | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-10-26 | PayPal Mafia | tluthra | 1 | 0 |
| 2013-10-22 | PayPal Mafia | vuknje | 1 | 0 |
| 2014-01-31 | PayPal MafiaFirst breakout · Best thread | robzyb | 162 | 63 |
| 2017-07-31 | The former PayPal employees who've since founded some of the largest tech firms | loomer | 1 | 0 |
| 2018-09-11 | PayPal Mafia | DyslexicAtheist | 4 | 0 |
| 2021-09-04 | PayPal MafiaLatest 20+ point return | domrdy | 110 | 53 |
| 2024-10-17 | PayPal Mafia | thunderbong | 4 | 0 |