Airbnb Is Founded

Setting the scene

Photography services and host insurance products professionalized listings that began as Craigslist-adjacent couch-surfing hacks.

What happened

Trust layers—reviews, ID verification, dynamic pricing—scaled informal hospitality into a global category.

Why it still matters

IPO-era filings revealed both staggering nights booked and activist pressure on party houses. Memorable detail: early cereal-box political stunts helped the founders pay rent while pitching investors.

Background

Short-term rentals reshaped tourism economics, landlord incentives, and regulatory battles from Barcelona to New York.