COMPUTER SCIENTIST
Shawn Fanning
1980 - Today

Shawn Fanning
Shawn Fanning (born November 22, 1980) is an American computer programmer, entrepreneur, and angel investor. He developed Napster, one of the first popular peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing platforms, in 1999. The popularity of Napster was widespread and Fanning was featured on the cover of Time magazine. The site in its initial free P2P incarnation was shut down in 2001 after the company's unsuccessful appeal of court orders arising from its encouraging the illegal sharing of copyrighted material. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in 23 different languages on Wikipedia (up from 22 in 2024). Shawn Fanning is the 230th most popular computer scientist (down from 224th in 2024), the 16,526th most popular biography from United States (down from 15,788th in 2019) and the 120th most popular American Computer Scientist.
Memorability Metrics
Page views of Shawn Fanning by language
Among COMPUTER SCIENTISTS
Among computer scientists, Shawn Fanning ranks 230 out of 245. Before him are Gottfrid Svartholm, Vincent Rijmen, John Ousterhout, Tron, David Jones, and Daniel Domscheit-Berg. After him are Mihalis Yannakakis, Mark Overmars, Dariusz Jemielniak, Jenova Chen, Greg Kroah-Hartman, and Larry Ewing.
Most Popular Computer Scientists in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsGottfrid Svartholm
1984 - Present
HPI: 45.85
Rank: 224
Vincent Rijmen
1970 - Present
HPI: 45.77
Rank: 225
John Ousterhout
1954 - Present
HPI: 45.53
Rank: 226
Tron
1972 - 1998
HPI: 45.01
Rank: 227
David Jones
1966 - Present
HPI: 44.98
Rank: 228
Daniel Domscheit-Berg
1978 - Present
HPI: 44.84
Rank: 229
Shawn Fanning
1980 - Present
HPI: 44.06
Rank: 230
Mihalis Yannakakis
1953 - Present
HPI: 43.50
Rank: 231
Mark Overmars
1958 - Present
HPI: 43.01
Rank: 232
Dariusz Jemielniak
1975 - Present
HPI: 42.99
Rank: 233
Jenova Chen
1981 - Present
HPI: 42.86
Rank: 234
Greg Kroah-Hartman
HPI: 42.72
Rank: 235
Larry Ewing
1978 - Present
HPI: 42.62
Rank: 236
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1980, Shawn Fanning ranks 728. Before him are José Roberto de Oliveira, Dani Rovira, Kate Micucci, Sergey Kirdyapkin, Piotr Giza, and Mauricio Molina. After him are Maya Diab, Lucie Vondráčková, Carlos Bueno, Kandyse McClure, Elena Lyadova, and Yuta Tabuse.
Others Born in 1980
Go to all RankingsJosé Roberto de Oliveira
SOCCER PLAYER
1980 - Present
HPI: 44.11
Rank: 722
Dani Rovira
ACTOR
1980 - Present
HPI: 44.08
Rank: 723
Kate Micucci
ACTOR
1980 - Present
HPI: 44.08
Rank: 724
Sergey Kirdyapkin
ATHLETE
1980 - Present
HPI: 44.08
Rank: 725
Piotr Giza
SOCCER PLAYER
1980 - Present
HPI: 44.07
Rank: 726
Mauricio Molina
SOCCER PLAYER
1980 - Present
HPI: 44.07
Rank: 727
Shawn Fanning
COMPUTER SCIENTIST
1980 - Present
HPI: 44.06
Rank: 728
Maya Diab
ACTOR
1980 - Present
HPI: 44.05
Rank: 729
Lucie Vondráčková
ACTOR
1980 - Present
HPI: 44.04
Rank: 730
Carlos Bueno
SOCCER PLAYER
1980 - Present
HPI: 44.03
Rank: 731
Kandyse McClure
ACTOR
1980 - Present
HPI: 44.00
Rank: 732
Elena Lyadova
ACTOR
1980 - Present
HPI: 44.00
Rank: 733
Yuta Tabuse
BASKETBALL PLAYER
1980 - Present
HPI: 44.00
Rank: 734
In United States
Among people born in United States, Shawn Fanning ranks 16,533 out of 20,380. Before him are Nipsey Russell (1918), Bev Perdue (1947), Barbara Mandrell (1948), Ryan Lochte (1984), Madison Lintz (1999), and Jeremy Camp (1978). After him are Jeffrey Pierce (1971), Anne Wojcicki (1973), Mitchel Musso (1991), Mia Tyler (1978), Fred Couples (1959), and Brad Guzan (1984).
Others born in United States
Go to all RankingsNipsey Russell
ACTOR
1918 - 2005
HPI: 44.07
Rank: 16,527
Bev Perdue
POLITICIAN
1947 - Present
HPI: 44.06
Rank: 16,528
Barbara Mandrell
ACTOR
1948 - Present
HPI: 44.06
Rank: 16,529
Ryan Lochte
SWIMMER
1984 - Present
HPI: 44.06
Rank: 16,530
Madison Lintz
ACTOR
1999 - Present
HPI: 44.06
Rank: 16,531
Jeremy Camp
SINGER
1978 - Present
HPI: 44.06
Rank: 16,532
Shawn Fanning
COMPUTER SCIENTIST
1980 - Present
HPI: 44.06
Rank: 16,533
Jeffrey Pierce
ACTOR
1971 - Present
HPI: 44.05
Rank: 16,534
Anne Wojcicki
BUSINESSPERSON
1973 - Present
HPI: 44.05
Rank: 16,535
Mitchel Musso
ACTOR
1991 - Present
HPI: 44.05
Rank: 16,536
Mia Tyler
ACTOR
1978 - Present
HPI: 44.05
Rank: 16,537
Fred Couples
GOLFER
1959 - Present
HPI: 44.04
Rank: 16,538
Brad Guzan
SOCCER PLAYER
1984 - Present
HPI: 44.04
Rank: 16,539
Among COMPUTER SCIENTISTS In United States
Among computer scientists born in United States, Shawn Fanning ranks 120. Before him are Terry A. Davis (1969), Eric Allman (1955), Nancy Lynch (1948), Douglas Crockford (1955), Steve Wilhite (1948), and John Ousterhout (1954). After him are Greg Kroah-Hartman (null), Theodore Ts'o (1968), Jeff Dean (1968), Rosalind Picard (1962), Rich Skrenta (1967), and Eric Bina (1964).
Terry A. Davis
1969 - 2018
HPI: 46.61
Rank: 114
Eric Allman
1955 - Present
HPI: 46.54
Rank: 115
Nancy Lynch
1948 - Present
HPI: 46.52
Rank: 116
Douglas Crockford
1955 - Present
HPI: 46.48
Rank: 117
Steve Wilhite
1948 - 2022
HPI: 46.27
Rank: 118
John Ousterhout
1954 - Present
HPI: 45.53
Rank: 119
Shawn Fanning
1980 - Present
HPI: 44.06
Rank: 120
Greg Kroah-Hartman
HPI: 42.72
Rank: 121
Theodore Ts'o
1968 - Present
HPI: 42.39
Rank: 122
Jeff Dean
1968 - Present
HPI: 42.10
Rank: 123
Rosalind Picard
1962 - Present
HPI: 41.59
Rank: 124
Rich Skrenta
1967 - Present
HPI: 39.26
Rank: 125
Eric Bina
1964 - Present
HPI: 39.08
Rank: 126














































