The Life of Cliff Obrecht

Overview

Cliff Obrecht is an Australian billionaire entrepreneur best known as the co-founder of Wotif.com, an online travel agency that was acquired by Expedia Group in 2014. He is also the co-founder of Airtasker, a leading online and mobile marketplace for local services.

Early Life and Education

Cliff Obrecht was born in Australia in 1978. He grew up in Brisbane and attended Villanova College, a Catholic boys’ school. After completing high school, he studied business and commerce at the University of Queensland, graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in 2000.

Career and Achievements

After graduation, Cliff Obrecht began his career in finance, working for Deloitte and then Macquarie Bank. However, he soon realized that he was more interested in starting his own business than in working for someone else. In 2000, he teamed up with fellow University of Queensland alumnus Andrew Brice to start Wotif.com.

Wotif.com was one of the first online travel agencies in Australia, offering discounted hotel bookings to customers. The company grew quickly, and in 2006 it became publicly traded on the Australian Securities Exchange. By 2014, Wotif.com had a market capitalization of over $1 billion and was acquired by Expedia Group for $703 million.

After the sale of Wotif.com, Cliff Obrecht partnered with Jonathan Lui to start Airtasker in 2012. Airtasker is a platform that connects people who need tasks done with people who can do them. The platform has grown rapidly, and in 2021 it was reported to have over 5 million users and be valued at over $1 billion.

In addition to his business ventures, Cliff Obrecht is also involved in philanthropy. He is a board member of the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation, which provides education scholarships to Indigenous Australian students.

Personal Life

Cliff Obrecht is married with children and lives in Sydney, Australia.

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