Arianna Huffington

Arianna Huffington was born in Greece; in an interview, she said she was born in 1950. Her mother encouraged her to study in England, and in 1969 she entered Girton College, University of Cambridge, to study economics; she later graduated and served as president of the Cambridge Union.⁠[1][2][3]

She recalled that her public debating in college brought her to the attention of a publisher. After being offered the chance to write a book, she gave up her plan to attend the Harvard Kennedy School, where she had been admitted, and chose writing as a career.⁠[1]

In 1973, she published her first book, “The Female Woman.” In 1980, she moved from London to New York and continued writing; her later works span biography, political commentary, and lifestyle.⁠[1][3]

Her 1981 biography of Maria Callas and her 1988 biography of Picasso drew plagiarism allegations. The former dispute ended in an out-of-court settlement; Huffington denied both allegations.⁠[4]

In 2003, she ran as an independent candidate in the California gubernatorial recall election, with campaign issues including the influence of money on politics. At the end of September that year, she withdrew from the race and switched to opposing the recall of then-Governor Gray Davis, saying she hoped to prevent Arnold SchwarzeneggerArnold SchwarzeneggerArnold Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-born actor, former professional bodybuilder and politician who served as California’s 38th governor.Open the full entry from being elected.⁠[5]

In 2005, Huffington co-founded The Huffington Post and served as editor-in-chief. The site combined news reporting, commentary, and blogs, and gradually grew into a general online media outlet.⁠[6][3]

She later regarded a collapse from exhaustion in 2007 as a turning point in her life and began to rethink how she worked and how she defined success. This personal account also became the background for her subsequent focus on sleep, stress, and burnout.⁠[7][8]

In February 2011, AOLAOLAOL is an American internet brand offering a news portal, email, and membership services. Its history dates to an online-services company founded in 1985.Open the full entry announced that it would acquire The Huffington Post for about $315 million, and the deal closed in March of that year. Huffington then became president and editor-in-chief of the combined Huffington Post Media Group, with responsibilities extending to a number of AOL’s media businesses.⁠[6][9]

After the acquisition, Jonathan Tasini and other contributors sued AOL, the site, Huffington, and Kenneth Lerer on the grounds that they had not been paid, asserting claims including unjust enrichment. The federal district court dismissed the suit in March 2012, and the Second Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed in December of that year; the court found that the facts alleged in the complaint were insufficient to support the claims.⁠[10]

In 2012, the site’s reporter David Wood won the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting for his coverage of soldiers severely wounded in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.⁠[11]

In 2014, she published “Thrive,” which discusses quality of life beyond money and power; in 2016, she published “The Sleep Revolution,” continuing to write about sleep and work culture.⁠[8][3]

In 2016, she left The Huffington Post to focus on Thrive Global. The company formally launched in November, with early businesses including corporate training, well-being media, and related consumer products, and then gradually developed a behavior change technology platform.⁠[3][12]

In 2021, Thrive Global raised an $80 million Series C round co-led by Kleiner Perkins and Owl Ventures. In a fifth-anniversary article, she explained that the company’s products now covered the web, mobile, and workplace communication, aiming to embed small behavior changes into everyday work.⁠[13]

In July 2024, Thrive Global and the OpenAI Startup FundOpenAI Startup FundThe OpenAI Startup Fund is a venture fund set up by OpenAI in May 2021 with an initial $100 million from Microsoft and other partners to invest in early-stage AI companies. It had raised about $175 million by 2023, and control passed to Ian Hathaway in March 2024.Open the full entry announced the joint creation of Thrive AI Health to develop a personalized AI health coach, with DeCarlos Love as CEO of the new company. The project focuses on daily behaviors including sleep, food, movement, stress management, and connection.⁠[14]

In January 2025, Thrive Global announced a collaboration with Eli LillyEli Lilly and CompanyEli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) is a U.S. pharmaceutical company founded in 1876 by Colonel Eli Lilly and headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana.Open the full entry to bring its behavior change tools and educational resources to LillyDirect and related consumer channels. Lilly also invested in Thrive AI Health.⁠[15]

In August of that year, Thrive Global announced a partnership with MicrosoftMicrosoftMicrosoft is a technology company founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in 1975 and headquartered in Redmond, Washington, with businesses spanning Windows, Microsoft 365, Azure, enterprise software, artificial intelligence, gaming and devices.Open the full entry to provide healthy-habit tools, content, and access to related benefits to Microsoft’s global workforce through Microsoft Teams.⁠[16]

As of September 2026, Huffington remained founder and CEO of Thrive Global. In a public post on September 22, she looked back on attending Dreamforce, saying she had discussed cultural creation in the age of AI together with Matthew McConaugheyMatthew McConaugheyMatthew McConaughey is an American actor, author and professor of practice at the University of Texas at Austin. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for Dallas Buyers Club. His work includes Dazed and Confused, True Detective, Interstellar and the memoir Greenlights. He is also involved in philanthropy, sports ownership and business, and has been interviewed by School of Hard Knocks.Open the full entry.⁠[17][18][19]

Thrive Global: The behavior change technology company she founded and leads. Official website: https://thriveglobal.com/ (opens in a new window).⁠[17]

HuffPost: The media outlet she co-founded. Official website: https://www.huffpost.com/ (opens in a new window).⁠[3][6]

Personal website: https://www.ariannahuffington.com/ (opens in a new window), which includes her bio, books, and published articles.⁠[3]

X: Public account: https://x.com/ariannahuff (opens in a new window).⁠[18]