Palestinian Billionaire: They Cancelled Me For Gaza. I Built a $9B Empire Instead

Amjad Masad is the co-founder and CEO of Replit, a $9 billion AI company.

Born in Jordan to a Palestinian family displaced during the Nakba, he taught himself to code on his father's first computer - and refused to hide his identity on the way up.

In this episode, he breaks down what speaking up cost him, how he built Replit to a $9B valuation, and his advice for Muslim founders looking to build.

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Follow Amjad:

https://x.com/amasad

https://www.linkedin.com/in/amjadmasad/

https://replit.com/

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0:00 - Introduction

2:13 - His Grandfather's Life in Palestine Before the Nakba

5:31 - His Father Buying the Neighbourhood's First Computer

7:22 - Competitive Swimming, Counter-Strike & the Making of a Builder

9:20 - Why He Refuses to Hide His Palestinian Identity

12:02 - October 7th: Why He Couldn't Stay Silent

14:30 - Cancelled: Silent Group Chats, Empty Calendar, Dead Deals

17:14 - Using His Influence for Palestine

19:22 - His Advice for Muslim Builders Navigating Their Morals

21:40 - Clashing With Silicon Valley's Most Powerful VCs

23:36 - The Quran Verse That Changed How He Sees Struggle

25:56 - The Role Models He Admires

27:54 - Paul Graham Advice He Thinks About Every Day

29:35 - The Legacy He Wants to Leave in 20 Years

32:14 - Meeting Mamdani & Breaking the Rules of American Politics

35:13 - Internet Cafes in Jordan to Inventing Replit

41:13 - Turning Down $1 Billion While His Mother Fought Cancer

44:18 - $2M to $1B ARR: Inside Replit's Explosive 3 Years

51:30 - There's No Playbook: How to Build in 2026