Melanie Perkins

$7.56 B

Ranked #491 in World

About Melanie Perkins

Australian tech maven Melanie Perkins, known for co-founding Canva and leading as its CEO, holds 18% stake in the billion-dollar design platform. Her journey began early in Perth, driven by entrepreneurial spirit, she launched a venture at 14 and later dropped out of college to advance Fusion Books, laying Canva's groundwork. With strategic hires and gender parity efforts, Perkins fosters a unique corporate culture. Engaged in philanthropy, she's now among Australia's top echelons with a US$6.5bn net worth as of January 2022.

Born

May 13, 1987 in Perth, Western Australia

Age

38 years

Source Of Wealth

Software

Industries

Technology

Citizenship

Australia

Residence

Sydney

Education

Drop Out, University of Western Australia

Spouse

Cliff Obrecht (Married: 2021)

Melanie Perkins, born in Perth, Western Australia, is an Australian billionaire technology entrepreneur. The daughter of an Australian-born teacher and a Malaysian engineer, Perkins attended Sacred Heart College and aspired to become a professional figure skater. At the age of fourteen, she started her first business selling handmade scarves. Perkins enrolled at the University of Western Australia, majoring in communications, psychology, and commerce. Noticing the difficulties students had in learning design programs, she saw a business opportunity and dropped out of university at age 19 to pursue Fusion Books with Cliff Obrecht.

Melanie Perkins: Family

Melanie Perkins is engaged to Cliff Obrecht, her long-time partner and co-founder of Canva. The couple got engaged in 2019 and tied the knot in January 2021 on Rottnest Island. They share a commitment to philanthropy and have pledged to donate at least half of their fortune to philanthropic causes through the Giving Pledge.

Melanie Perkins: Career Highlights

Perkins co-founded Fusion Books in 2007, a company that allowed students to design yearbooks using drag-and-drop tools. Starting in Perkins' mother's living room, Fusion Books grew into the largest yearbook company in Australia and expanded to France and New Zealand. Despite facing rejections from over 100 local investors in Perth, Perkins persevered and eventually pitched Canva's initial idea to prominent investor Bill Tai in 2011. Although they didn't receive funding, they became regulars at gatherings hosted by Tai.

A crucial turning point came when Perkins met Lars Rasmussen, co-founder of Google Maps, who became their tech adviser and introduced them to Cameron Adams. Adams joined Canva as the third founder and chief product officer. Under their leadership, Canva became one of the few profitable "unicorn" start-ups. Perkins remained CEO and owned around 18% of the company, which led to her being named to the Financial Review Rich List of 2023.

Melanie Perkins: Companies

Melanie Perkins is the co-founder and CEO of Canva, a graphic design platform that allows users to create presentations, posters, social media graphics, and other visual content.

Canva has become one of the most popular design tools in the world, with over 100 million active users. Perkins also co-founded Fusion Books, a company that allowed students to design yearbooks using drag-and-drop tools.

Melanie Perkins: Major Achievements

Perkins' major achievements include co-founding Canva, one of the most successful start-ups in recent years. Canva has revolutionized the way people create visual content, making it easy and accessible for everyone. Perkins has also been recognized for her efforts in addressing gender disparity in the technology industry and start-ups. She is among the 2% of female CEOs of venture-backed companies and has implemented policies at Canva to eliminate bias in the hiring process, resulting in 41% female representation.

Melanie Perkins: Awards & Achievements

Perkins has received numerous awards and accolades for her contributions to the technology industry. She was named one of Forbes' "Top Under 30 of the Decade" in 2020 and appeared on The Australian Financial Review Rich List in 2020 with a net worth of A$3.43 billion. In 2023, her joint net worth with Cliff Obrecht was assessed as A$13.18 billion on the Rich List, making them the ninth wealthiest Australians. Forbes estimated Perkins' personal net worth at A$9.21 billion (US$6.5bn) as of January 2022.

Melanie Perkins: Personal Life & Legacy

Outside of her professional endeavors, Perkins is passionate about kite surfing, which she took up as a networking opportunity with venture capitalists. She is also an advocate for gender equality and diversity in the tech industry. Perkins' legacy lies in her pioneering spirit, her ability to identify and capitalize on market opportunities, and her commitment to creating a more inclusive and diverse tech ecosystem.

Melanie Perkins: Trivia

Here are some interesting facts about Melanie Perkins:

Perkins dropped out of university at age 19 to pursue her entrepreneurial dreams.
Canva was initially rejected by over 100 local investors in Perth.

Perkins met Lars Rasmussen, co-founder of Google Maps, at a party hosted by prominent investor Bill Tai.
Canva became one of the few profitable "unicorn" start-ups, valued at over A$1 billion.
Perkins is committed to philanthropy and has pledged at least half of her fortune to philanthropic purposes through the Giving Pledge.

Wealth History

Timeline

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Melanie Perkins was born in Perth, Western Australia, to an Australian-born teacher and a Malaysian engineer.

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She attended Sacred Heart College and aspired to be a professional figure skater.

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At the age of fourteen, she started her first business selling handmade scarves.

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She enrolled at the University of Western Australia, majoring in communications, psychology, and commerce.

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Noticing the difficulties students had in learning design programs, she saw a business opportunity.

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At the age of 19, she dropped out of university to pursue Fusion Books with Cliff Obrecht.

2007

Co-founded Fusion Books, a company that allowed students to design yearbooks using drag-and-drop tools.

N/A

Started in Perkins' mother's living room, Fusion Books grew into the largest yearbook company in Australia and expanded to France and New Zealand.

N/A

Faced rejections from over 100 local investors in Perth.

2011

Pitched Canva's initial idea to prominent investor Bill Tai, but did not receive funding. However, they became regulars at gatherings hosted by Tai.

N/A

Met Lars Rasmussen, co-founder of Google Maps, who became their tech adviser and introduced them to Cameron Adams.

N/A

Adams joined Canva as the third founder and chief product officer.

N/A

Canva became one of the few profitable "unicorn" start-ups.

N/A

Perkins remained CEO and owned around 18% of the company. She was named to the Financial Review Rich List of 2023.

N/A

Addressed gender disparity in the technology industry and start-ups, being among the 2% of female CEOs of venture-backed companies.

N/A

Implemented policies at Canva to eliminate bias in the hiring process, resulting in 41% female representation.

N/A

Took interest in kite surfing as a networking opportunity with venture capitalists.

2019

Engaged to Cliff Obrecht.

January 2021

Married Cliff Obrecht on Rottnest Island.

N/A

Committed to the Giving Pledge, pledging at least half of their fortune to philanthropic purposes.

2020

Named one of Forbes' "Top Under 30 of the Decade".

2020

Appeared on The Australian Financial Review Rich List with a net worth of A$3.43 billion.

2023

Joint net worth with Cliff Obrecht assessed as A$13.18 billion on the Rich List, making them the ninth wealthiest Australians.

January 2022

Forbes estimated Perkins' personal net worth at A$9.21 billion (US$6.5bn).

Melanie Perkins : FAQs

What is Melanie Perkins's current net worth?

Melanie Perkins's current net worth is $7.56 billion.

What is Melanie Perkins's current global rank among billionaires?

Melanie Perkins holds the 491st position globally among billionaires.

What is Melanie Perkins's current ranking within the Australia?

Melanie Perkins holds the 6th position in Australia.

What was the change in Melanie Perkins's net worth compared to the previous year?

Melanie Perkins's net worth decreased by 0 million dollars compared to the previous year 2025, when her net worth was 7.56 billion dollars.

What are Melanie Perkins's main sources of wealth?

Melanie Perkins's main source of income comes from Software.

In which industry does Melanie Perkins primarily operate?

Melanie Perkins is primarily involved in the Technology industry.

What is Melanie Perkins educational background?

Melanie Perkins is a dropout from the University of Western Australia.

How old is Melanie Perkins?

Melanie Perkins is 38 years old.

Who is Melanie Perkins and what is her role at Canva?

Melanie Perkins is an Australian billionaire technology entrepreneur, co-founder, and CEO of Canva. She owns 18% of the company and is one of the youngest female CEOs leading a tech start-up valued over A$1 billion.

What challenges did Melanie Perkins face in founding Canva, and who were her early supporters?

Melanie Perkins faced rejections from over 100 local investors in Perth while founding Canva. However, she met prominent investor Bill Tai and Lars Rasmussen, co-founder of Google Maps, who became their tech adviser. Perkins also partnered with Cameron Adams, who joined Canva as the third founder and chief product officer.

How did Melanie Perkins' early life shape her career as a tech entrepreneur?

Melanie Perkins was born in Perth, Western Australia and started her first business at age fourteen. She enrolled at the University of Western Australia, majoring in communications, psychology, and commerce, where she saw a business opportunity in the difficulties students faced with design programs. This led her to drop out of university and co-found Fusion Books, which eventually evolved into Canva.

What has Melanie Perkins done to address gender disparity in tech start-ups?

Melanie Perkins has addressed gender disparity in the technology industry by implementing policies at Canva to eliminate bias in the hiring process. These efforts have resulted in 41% female representation within the company.