Spotify’s Daniel Ek To Step Down As CEO, Become Executive Chairman

Spotify’s Founder, Daniel Ek, is to step down from his position as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective January 1, 2026, and will assume the role of Executive Chairman.

Long-time executives Gustav Söderström and Alex Norström will take over as co-CEOs, reporting to Ek and joining the company’s Board of Directors, subject to shareholder approval.

Daniel Ek is a Swedish entrepreneur and technologist. Apart from Spotify, he is also the Founder of Prima Matria (a European investment company) and Co-Founder of Neko Health. He also holds the position of Chairman at Neko Health. His model of music funded through subscriptions and advertising redirected listeners from piracy and brought labels, artists, and advertisers into a single marketplace. He has invested in Germany’s Helsing, a company producing AI-controlled combat drones, which has raised over a billion dollars and is now Europe’s largest defence startup with a valuation of USD 12 billion. Prior to founding Spotify, he worked in several startups.